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The administration's deep cuts to humanitarian assistance come at a time when aid is needed more than ever.
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The Trump administration on Monday announced a commitment of $2 billion to United Nations humanitarian assistance efforts, a fraction of what the US has previously provided as President Donald Trump's foreign aid cuts continue to wreak deadly havoc worldwide.
The US State Department said the funds will be tied to reform efforts pushed by the administration, as it warns individual UN agencies to “adapt, shrink, or die” — all while giving massive handouts to billionaires.
“The agreement requires the UN to consolidate humanitarian functions to reduce bureaucratic overhead, unnecessary duplication, and ideological creep,” said the State Department.
Al Jazeera reported that the reduced commitment “is a sharp contrast to the assistance of up to $17 billion the US has provided as the UN's leading funder in recent years.”
“The $2 billion will create a pool of funds that can be directed at specific countries or crises, with 17 countries — including Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Syria, and Ukraine — initially targeted,” the outlet noted. “Afghanistan is not included on the list, nor is Palestine, which officials say will be covered by money included in Trump's yet-to-be-completed Gaza plan.”
The Associated Press observed that “even as the US pulls back its aid, needs have ballooned across the world: Famine has been recorded this year in parts of conflict-ridden Sudan and Gaza, and floods, drought, and natural disasters that many scientists attribute to climate change have taken many lives or driven thousands from their homes.”
The new funding pledge comes after the Trump administration's lawless dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was the United States' primary body for foreign aid.
Experts say the destruction of USAID at the hands of billionaire Elon Musk and others inside the Trump White House has killed hundreds of thousands of people across the globe — and could kill millions more in the coming years.
A conservative tracker maintained by Boston University epidemiologist Brooke Nichols estimates that the Trump administration's assault on foreign aid programs has killed more than 700,000 people — a majority of them children.
In a blog post for the Center for Global Development earlier this month, Charles Kenny and Justin Sandefur wrote that “while quantification is difficult, there is little doubt many people have died as a result, and without action many more will die in the future.”
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Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @johnsonjakep.
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It seemed, at least superficially, to have been one of the better face-to-face meetings between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, their sixth in a year that has seen this relationship fray to breaking point and require regular and painstaking repairs.
The mood, as they emerged from the dining room at Mar-a-Lago was conciliatory. Zelensky wore a suit – the same austere black compromise statement he had worn at the White House in October. Trump called the meeting “terrific” and asked if Zelensky and his general who “looks like central casting” had enjoyed the food. Awkward, yes, but a far cry from the open humiliation of the Ukrainian leader that played out in the Oval Office in February.
And yet, beneath the veil of politeness, there was rhetoric from the US president that suggests his default position in negotiations is still to pressure Kyiv, while appeasing Moscow.
On the toughest question of all – territory – Trump at one point suggested it might anyway be “taken” in the coming months, asking, “are you better off making a deal now?” It was a line eerily similar to that of Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, summarizing a call between President Vladimir Putin and Trump earlier on Sunday: “Given the situation on the front lines, it would make sense for the Ukrainian regime to adopt this decision regarding Donbas without delay.”
That echo wasn't lost on the Kremlin. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted on a call with journalists that Trump “apparently reminded them (the Ukrainian side) that Ukraine is losing land and will continue to lose it.” While Russian forces continue to inch forward in the eastern Donbas region, Putin has demanded that Ukraine cede land that Russia has yet to seize.
The Kremlin would already have been confident in its power to sway the US president. In the lead-up to the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin in August, European leaders worked hard to bring Trump round to the idea that a ceasefire was needed before peace negotiations, something Moscow has always dismissed. In the end, it was Putin who won that argument, and, more than four months later, Trump still appears to support his view.
“He (Putin) feels that, look, you know, they're fighting to stop and then if they have to start again, which is a possibility, he doesn't want to be in that position. I understand that position,” Trump said Sunday.
The apparent removal of a ceasefire from the table has now created a new impasse. While Ukraine is sounding increasingly open to discussion of territorial concessions, Zelensky has made it clear that giving up, or changing the status of, Ukrainian land would likely require a referendum, something he says cannot happen without a ceasefire lasting at least 60 days.
No ceasefire then means no referendum, and no referendum could mean no territorial concessions from Ukraine, and ultimately no deal. So, we're back on the diplomatic merry-go-round, buying more and more time for Russia to attack.
“Russia wants to continue to put pressure on us. And what does this continuation look like? War, missiles, artillery,” Zelensky said in comments to journalists Monday morning. As he spoke, most Ukrainian regions started a new week with regular blackouts, and more than 9,000 households in the Kyiv region woke up with no power at all.
Hardly surprising then, that the Ukrainian president shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other as he listened to Trump describe Putin as “very good” on the issue of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia seized by force in March 2022 and has occupied ever since.
“President Putin is actually working with Ukraine on getting it open. That's a big step when he's not bombing that plant,” said the US president.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is currently undergoing repairs to nearby power lines to prevent a nuclear accident, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The facility has been cut off from its external power supply 12 times since Russia's occupation, and earlier this month the UN's nuclear watchdog warned that Moscow's constant attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure are also a threat to its security. “Persistent instability in Ukraine's electrical grid continues to undermine nuclear safety,” said Director General Rafael Grossi.
On one critical issue for Ukraine there has been a small step forward: security guarantees. Up until now, Kyiv only had verbal assurances the US would participate in post-war security guarantees, after Trump shifted his position in August. Now these assurances are in writing, albeit with a 15-year expiry date – which Zelensky wants extended – and still in need of congressional approval. The guarantees would not mean US troops on the ground, but at least there would be support for Europe if they decided to send theirs. “We're going to help Europe 100%, like they'd help us,” said Trump.
And yet until Russia and Ukraine can come together for direct talks, which Zelensky hopes could happen in January after another circuit of discussions with allies, all of this is hypothetical. That prospect seemed even more remote Monday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Kyiv of attacking one of Putin's residences, promising Moscow would “review” its negotiating position as a result. Zelensky rejected the claim as “another lie” from Russia.
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, reiterated Monday that Russia wants “the withdrawal of the regime's armed forces from Donbas beyond its administrative borders.” That, of course, includes territory Russia hasn't been able to occupy in nearly four years of war. And in return Moscow continues to receive praise and diplomatic overtures from the White House, with Trump speaking to Putin both before and after his meeting with Zelensky.
Takeaways from Trump's meeting with Zelensky in Florida
The diplomatic merry-go-round revs up again now going into 2026, with adviser-level meetings followed by a gathering of the “Coalition of the Willing” in Paris in early January, and then a potential Washington summit with Trump, Zelensky said Monday. Meanwhile the Trump administration has proposed that discussions continue in several working groups, an idea endorsed by Moscow.
And yet in this now largely predictable cycle, you can't rule out a sudden shift. In October, a frustrated Trump slapped sanctions on Russia's oil giants, a move that has caused Russian oil prices to plummet to their lowest level since the February 2022 invasion.
“Maybe the tug of war for Trump is not lost for Ukraine yet. The leaders are meeting, conversations ongoing,” wrote Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at London-based think tank Chatham House in a post on X. Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev struck a less optimistic tone. “If you want to delay anything for (an) indefinitely long time – create a few working groups,” he wrote.
CNN's Kevin Liptak, Victoria Butenko, Darya Tarasova, Issy Ronald, Svitlana Vlasova, Mitchell McCluskey and Aditi Sangal contributed to this report.
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Nuclear experts are urging the public to demand concrete steps to reduce the risk of devastation due to nuclear weapons.
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Faster, stealthier missiles, accelerated weapons development, and the threat of an unrestrained nuclear arms race, set against the backdrop of a withering arms control regime, point to a worsening global nuclear threat as 2025 comes to a close. On top of that, just before meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping in October, President Donald Trump abruptly, and very imprecisely announced in a social media post, “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
The suggestion that the United States might break with a more than three decade-long moratorium on explosive tests sparked a global wave of uncertainty, anxiety, and speculation about the impacts of a potential return to explosive nuclear testing. This comes in the final months of a year when five of the world's nine nuclear armed countries have been engaged in active warfare. In May, India and Pakistan attacked each other with missiles, Russia has continuously bombed Ukraine, and the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran and other nations and territories.
Eighty years after the beginning of the atomic age, the deteriorating nuclear threat landscape is reflected in the symbolic Doomsday Clock, now set at 89 seconds to midnight, its closest-ever setting to global catastrophe, with the last U.S.-Russia arms control treaty expected to expire in early February.
On July 16, the 80th anniversary of the world's first nuclear detonation, a gathering of 60 nuclear weapons experts and around 20 Nobel laureates assembled at the University of Chicago to come up with a list of pragmatic, actionable steps which they are urging world leaders to take to reduce the risk of nuclear war. That two-page document, the Nobel Laureate Declaration, calls for a recommitment to a moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, enhancement and expansion of nuclear diplomacy, and for scientists, academics, communities of faith, and civil society to create pressure on global leaders to take nuclear risk reduction measures.
Five of the nuclear experts and one Nobel laureate who were central to writing the declaration (now signed by 129 Nobel prize winners) spoke to Truthout to discuss what the exercise achieved and what they want to see happen next. Everyone interviewed for this story agreed that nuclear threats have increased in recent months, underscoring the urgent need to reduce risks and begin new conversations.
“That conversation has been picked up by a lot of people around the world but it has not yet, in my opinion, changed the dial, but it is the beginning,” said Brian Schmidt, a professor of astrophysics at Australian National University and a Nobel laureate (2011 physics). “I see it as that first step, and we are now looking at how we do the next steps and keep bringing it up in conversations.”
Schmidt told Truthout that he has spoken to people across the political spectrum from the far left to the far right and “no one has said ‘I think nuclear war would be a good thing.'” Finding ways to reduce nuclear risks, Schmidt said, is “actually something that can be used to bind us together.”
The deteriorating nuclear threat landscape is reflected in the symbolic Doomsday Clock, now set at 89 seconds to midnight, its closest-ever setting to global catastrophe.
As nuclear nations increase spending and reliance on their arsenals with some people even calling for more countries to acquire nuclear weapons, Laura Grego, senior research director with the Union of Concerned Scientists, was under no illusion that a two-page document alone would change the world, but calls it a necessary step.
“I didn't expect that everybody would put their pens down and say, ‘the laureates have spoken.'” Rather, she compared the declaration to a protest or demonstration which, by itself, does not bring immediate change, but must be part of a longer, sustained effort.
Even as Trump has made ambiguous and alarming statements about testing nuclear weapons, he has called for a comprehensive missile defense system called “Golden Dome” intended to “defend against all types of missiles from any adversary,” something Grego describes as “fantastical.” Others find the idea ill-defined and flawed. Anticipated costs for the system quickly surpassed $500 billion with some estimates in the trillions of dollars.
“This massive investment in strategic missile defense is really unhelpful,” Grego told Truthout. “It's not just wasted money,” she said. In the long run it “probably makes the world less safe.” The Nobel Declaration calls on China, Russia, and the United States to “acknowledge the interrelationship between strategic offensive and defensive arms and forgo massive investments in strategic missile defense.”
Breaking through to policy decision-making circles, Grego said, can be difficult as they are often sequestered in the Pentagon and may not be elected officials responsive to voters. Grego says members of Congress are rarely questioned by their own constituents on nuclear issues and that lack of public input is just fine with the powerful, highly organized corporate interests who stand to make a lot of money building expensive weapon systems.
Grego urges people to call their representative's office and to let them know if their votes don't correspond to your views. In particular, on rarely challenged issues like nuclear weapons, small, incremental steps can have a positive impact.
“While there's a lot of decision making that's held in the Pentagon,” Grego said, “the purse strings are held by Congress and that's still a powerful lever that we need to use better.”
According to a recent YouGov survey, 69 percent of Americans think nuclear weapons make the world a more dangerous place. Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents approve of reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal.
Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and one of the chief organizers of the Nobel nuclear assembly, told Truthout that whenever there's been a major reduction in nuclear threats, it followed years or decades of grassroots organizing and ongoing commitment, accompanied by public pressure with people saying, “we refuse to live in this world of increasing nuclear threats forever.” Major arms control achievements like the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 or the agreement by the U.S. and Soviet Union to reduce nuclear stockpiles in the 1980s didn't just happen. They were the result of sustained movements and public pressure.
“We've done this before. We figured out a way to reduce threats in the past and we kind of forgot,” said Bell. “We became complacent that we had dealt with this problem and we didn't have to spend as much time and effort on it.”
She recognized that people today have a long list of concerns — the economy, health care, crime, the precarious state of democracy — but she said, “[We]'ve got to make room for the nuclear threat as well because it's here whether or not you want to focus on it…and lack of attention is not going to make the problem better. In fact, it probably will make it worse and if we get the nuclear problem wrong, none of those other problems matter.”
She urged people to start talking about nuclear issues and ask their elected leaders how they are addressing the threat.
Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told Truthout “the risk [of nuclear war] is very, very low but obviously the consequence is impossible to imagine.” To that end, after the Nobel nuclear assembly, Lewis produced a short video that offers a vivid, terrifying snapshot of what a nuclear detonation would do to a city, in this case Chicago, the same city targeted in the movie A House of Dynamite.
He said the nuclear threat seems distant and gigantic, but, he added, “We know eventually our luck will run out.” He said, “We need to be gripped by some sense of urgency that we have made this deal with nuclear weapons to base our security on them and we know that deal is not going to work forever.” Given the enormity of a global nuclear catastrophe, Lewis said, “The fate of the world is everybody's problem, and everybody has a role to play.”
When considering the possibility of reducing the nuclear risk, Lewis said that Trump has demonstrated a visceral reaction to the destructiveness of nuclear weapons which he believes is quite sincere. “It's a shame because [Trump] has real political power,” said Lewis. “He has the political power to negotiate a verification protocol to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)” which, Lewis asserted, could make the Republican controlled Senate consent to ratifying the treaty which Lewis believes could earn Trump a Nobel Peace Prize. The United States is one of nine countries which have not ratified the CTBT, preventing it from entering into force.
Thomas Countryman, chairman of the board of the Arms Control Association and a 35-year veteran State Department diplomat, said the Nobel declaration would be significant if the public responded by demanding their elected leaders take steps to reduce nuclear danger. Those recommended steps could begin, he said, if there was a single leader among the nine nuclear weapons states who had the courage and moral conviction to prioritize nuclear risk reduction.
“I am somewhat encouraged that President Trump has said more than once that he is fearful of the effects of nuclear war. I think he appreciates how dangerous nuclear weapons are on a strong personal level,” Countryman said. “The problem is that neither he nor any of his counterparts in other nuclear weapon states have yet taken a meaningful step forward.” Although he has little confidence that Washington or Moscow will make significant progress on nuclear arms control in the next few years, Countryman says he has hope — “not confidence, but hope”— that China is in a unique position to do so.
Countryman will be watching the anticipated Trump-Xi summit in China next April closely. While he expects the meeting will focus on economic issues, it may be possible to address some nuclear matters too. He sees the opportunity for Trump and Xi to even take a very dramatic step of an announcement of a simultaneous ratification of the CTBT. “That may be too ambitious for both bureaucracies, but if both presidents have a little bit of courage and imagination, it could be done.” And while it could be possible, he fears there are “too many political and bureaucratic obstacles from any of the other nuclear armed states from moving forward on something dramatic.”
He conceded that conveying practical nuclear risk steps like those in the Nobel declaration is an uphill battle because, as he put it, in Washington, Moscow, and Beijing, “those who favor more nuclear weapons are in the ascendancy… all of them are feeling more confident and have the ear of their respective leaders much more frequently than those who are advocating for reduction of nuclear risk.”
Daniel Holz is a physics professor at the University of Chicago and chair of the science and security board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. As one of the chief organizers of the Nobel Assembly, he's been closely following progress of the declaration which has included calls by the Vatican to reduce and eliminate all nuclear weapons, ongoing and future follow up meetings around the world, and in October, a presentation and discussion at the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations. Included in the discussion before the largely diplomatic audience was the call for all countries to increase investments and research on the environmental, economic, and other impacts of nuclear conflict by a newly formed UN Independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War, the first of its kind since the 1980s. Of the nine nuclear armed nations, only China voted to support the study.
That UN study, like the Nobel declaration and depictions of nuclear weapons in books, music, movies, and popular media, as well as concerns about nuclear testing, nuclear proliferation, and the collapse of arms control, underscores the urgent need for more public engagement.
An increasing public perception of nuclear risk, Holz said, “leads to discussion, it leads to awareness, and it does lead to pressure on leaders” which is necessary to effect change. “Once the public is aware and engaged, as it should be, because they will be impacted if this goes wrong … then policy makers start to pay attention.”
“Unfortunately, it's getting easier and easier to make the case that people should be aware.”
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Jon Letman is a freelance journalist on Kauai. He writes about nuclear weapons, militarism, human rights and the environment in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Follow him on Bluesky.
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Toxic chemicals like lead and asbestos are likely in dirt used to backfill demolished structures in city, experts say
Hundreds of Detroit home demolition sites were potentially backfilled with toxic construction debris from a demolished shopping mall and other sources, creating an unfolding public health threat in the city's neighborhoods.
Detroit, the nation's lowest income big city, is in the US industrial heartland. It was left with tens of thousands of empty structures as industrial plants closed and people left the city in past decades – Detroit's population dropped from nearly 2 million people around 1950 to fewer than 700,000 today. The city's demolition program is widely considered the largest ever in the US.
Despite repeated requests from the Guardian, Mayor Mike Duggan's administration and state regulators have so far not disclosed which toxins have been detected. Independent environmental health experts and a former regulator say lead, mercury, cadmium, PAHs, and asbestos – chemicals that are toxic at very low exposure levels – are likely in the type of slag used to backfill the neighborhood sites.
The problem could have been avoided, some demolition experts say. Duggan's demolition program brought down tens of thousands of homes at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars over his 12 years in office. Contaminated sites were found three times previously, and in 2018 drew federal scrutiny.
The latest round of contaminated sites – potentially 424 so far – is on pace to be the widest scale, and comes as Duggan leaves office this week to campaign full-time for governor as a pro-business independent. He has touted his blight elimination program as a top achievement.
Steve Hoin, a former state regulator who worked on previous Detroit demolition site remediations, questioned whether the administration followed advisory protocols developed in 2018 with state and federal regulators. The protocols were designed to avoid a repeat of the same problems.
The 2018 protocols also may not have been rigorous enough because they did not require the city or contractors to test all dirt. Testing is the best way to ensure dirt is safe, but it would have slowed the demolitions.
“Regardless, it's mismanagement because clearly they had knowledge in 2017, and before that, that contaminated fill was coming in, and they haven't fixed the problem,” said Hoin, a former geologist with the Michigan department of environment, Great Lakes and energy (EGLE). “I'm not sure if it was competence, or ‘we don't care about the protocol because we want to get the demos done in time.'”
Duggan's replacement, Detroit city council mayor pro tem Mary Sheffield, will inherit the problem, which Duggan estimated could cost about $18,000 per property to remedy, though some experts said it could be higher.
In a statement, Duggan administration spokesperson John Roach said contaminated backfill dirt is a problem around the country, and the suggestion that the issues in Detroit reflect bad city management “is false”.
“The only reason this has come to light is because of the City of Detroit's investigation and testing,” Roach said. “It's not possible to prevent all unscrupulous contractors from using bad soil, but no one has been more effective than the City of Detroit at holding them accountable when they do.” Roach said the test results will be publicly released.
A spokesperson for EGLE said the agency “will continue working with the City to determine appropriate actions, including possible remediation or enforcement if contamination is confirmed”.
The current problems came to light earlier this year when a Detroit office of inspector general investigation found a contractor hired by the city had used dirt contaminated with construction debris from the demolition of the Northland Shopping Mall. Testing reported in early November found 42 of 47 sites exceeded pollution thresholds, and much of that was “unsafe for direct human contact”.
At a 22 December press conference, Duggan announced that 424 sites had been identified as potentially contaminated, but did not name the contaminants.
Duggan said 32% of 50 sites tested so far were “above regional background levels”. The regional background levels are important because an exceedance triggers a mandatory environmental cleanup and indicates a risk to the public.
In effect, the city may now have small toxic waste dumps scattered throughout its neighborhoods, which is a “gargantuan problem”, said Allen Burton, an ecosystems management researcher with the University of Michigan.
“There might be a bag of really toxic stuff there,” Burton said.
The 2018 protocols were developed after debris from a freeway demolition was used to fill neighborhood demolition sites. The protocols increased scrutiny of dirt sources and required testing of dirt sourced from commercial land.
However, it opened an opportunity for contractors to lie and claim their dirt came from residential areas to avoid testing, said RJ Koscielniak, an Eastern Michigan University geology professor and urban decline scholar. He did his doctoral dissertation on Detroit demolitions and has reviewed hundreds of thousands of program documents.
Koscielniak said the city never “put in place legitimate controls” in part because regulations were opposed by contractors, and because the administration did not want to slow the demolition program.
“There's an insistence that [the demolitions] get done with a velocity that compromises any regulations,” he said.
The contaminants likely in the shopping mall debris are linked to health issues like cancer and reduced cognitive ability in children. Those living around the sites face a health risk from dust that blows off the property, Hoin said. Children playing on the sites, or others who come into contact with the dirt, may face more immediate health impacts.
Hoin and Burton added that chemicals like lead are so toxic that even those below background levels can still be a danger. The background threshold for lead in Detroit is higher than in other cities, and does not necessarily convey safety, Burton said.
During his 22 December press conference, Duggan downplayed the health threat, stating that there would only be a risk “if you were to dig through the foot of topsoil and spend a lot of time digging in the dirt.”
Burton said hazardous waste sites are capped with specialized liners or several feet of clay, which Detroit has not put in place. Burton added: “I don't buy what the mayor said.
“Anything that is near the surface is going to be a hazard to the neighborhood,” Burton said. “I think the mayor is just trying to get people off his back.”
The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump's administration continues to slash US foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities.
The money is a small fraction of what the US has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States' status as the world's largest humanitarian donor.
The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities, a key part of US demands for drastic changes across the world body that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to severe reductions in programs and services.
The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional US humanitarian funding for UN-backed programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to UN data. US officials say only $8 to $10 billion of that has been in voluntary contributions. The United States also pays billions in annual dues related to its UN membership.
Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease and harmed US soft power around the world.
The move caps a crisis year for many UN organizations like its refugee, migration and food aid agencies. The Trump administration has already cut billions in US foreign aid, prompting them to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional Western donors have reduced outlays, too.
The announced US pledge for aid programs of the United Nations — the world's top provider of humanitarian assistance and biggest recipient of US humanitarian aid money — takes shape in a preliminary deal with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, run by Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat and government official.
Even as the US pulls back its aid, needs have ballooned across the world: Famine has been recorded this year in parts of conflict-ridden Sudan and Gaza, and floods, drought and natural disasters that many scientists attribute to climate change have taken many lives or driven thousands from their homes.
The cuts will have major implications for UN affiliates like the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Program and refugee agency UNHCR. They have already received billions less from the US this year than under annual allocations from the previous Biden administration — or even during Trump's first term.
Now, the idea is that Fletcher's office — which last year set in motion a “humanitarian reset” to improve efficiency, accountability and effectiveness of money spent — will become a funnel for US and other aid money that can be then redirected to those agencies, rather than scattered US contributions to a variety of individual appeals for aid.
The United States wants to see “more consolidated leadership authority” in UN aid delivery systems, said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide details before the announcement at the US diplomatic mission in Geneva.
Under the plan, Fletcher and his coordination office “are going to control the spigot” on how money is distributed to agencies, the official said.
“This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars — providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,” said US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz.
US officials say the $2 billion is just a first outlay to help fund OCHA's annual appeal for money, announced earlier this month. Fletcher, noting the upended aid landscape, already slashed the request this year. Other traditional UN donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan have reduced aid allocations and sought reforms this year.
“The agreement requires the U.N. to consolidate humanitarian functions to reduce bureaucratic overhead, unnecessary duplication, and ideological creep,” the State Department said in a statement. “Individual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.”
“Nowhere is reform more important than the humanitarian agencies, which perform some of the U.N.'s most critical work,” the department added. “Today's agreement is a critical step in those reform efforts, balancing President Trump's commitment to remaining the world's most generous nation, with the imperative to bring reform to the way we fund, oversee, and integrate with U.N. humanitarian efforts.”
At its core, the reform project will help establish pools of funding that can be directed either to specific crises or countries in need. A total of 17 countries will be targeted initially, including Bangladesh, Congo, Haiti, Syria and Ukraine.
One of the world's most desperate countries, Afghanistan, is not included, nor are the Palestinian territories, which officials say will be covered by money stemming from Trump's as-yet-incomplete Gaza peace plan.
The project, months in the making, stems from Trump's longtime view that the world body has great promise, but has failed to live up to it, and has — in his eyes — drifted too far from its original mandate to save lives while undermining American interests, promoting radical ideologies and encouraging wasteful, unaccountable spending.
Fletcher praised the deal, saying in a statement, “At a moment of immense global strain, the United States is demonstrating that it is a humanitarian superpower, offering hope to people who have lost everything.”
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Greene gives lengthy interview with New York Times days before stepping down as congresswoman for Georgia
Marjorie Taylor Greene, now just days away from stepping down as a congresswoman for Georgia, has said in her latest mea culpa interview that she “was just so naive” for believing that Donald Trump was a man of the people.
In a lengthy interview with the New York Times that examines her break with the president after years of devotion, Greene explained that a series of minor ruptures with the president culminated in a total breach after conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was killed in September.
The third-term Georgia congresswoman said she was watching Kirk's memorial service on TV when his widow Erika said she forgave her husband's killer. But then Trump took the stage to say that unlike Kirk – “a missionary with a noble spirit” who did not “hate” his opponents, Trump said he disagreed.
“I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them,” Trump said.
Greenesaid: “That was absolutely the worst statement. It just shows where his heart is. And that's the difference, with her having a sincere Christian faith, and proves that he does not have any faith.”
Green said that her turn away from unrepentant Maga acolyte came in that moment and she abandoned her training “to never apologize and to never admit when you're wrong”.
“As a Christian, I don't believe in doing that,” she said. “I agree with Erika Kirk, who did the hardest thing possible and said it out loud.” Greene said she later told a friend that after Kirk died, “I realized that I'm part of this toxic culture. I really started looking at my faith. I wanted to be more like Christ.”
The Maga landscape post-Kirk has been showing signs of fracture, and Greene has found herself at odds with administration and Republican positions, declaring the war in Gaza a “genocide” as well as casting doubt on economic, healthcare and foreign policy positions that she says do not prioritize working-class Americans.
“I was just so naive and outside of politics,” Greene said, adding: “It was easy for me to naively believe.”
Her break with Trump and the Republican leadership in Congress was, she told the Times, completed over a vote to release investigative files related to the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Greene said the Epstein files represented “everything wrong with Washington” and said it was a story of “rich, powerful elites doing horrible things and getting away with it. And the women are the victims”.
After meeting with victims, she claimed, Trump called her and yelled “my friends will get hurt” if the files were released.
In the interview, Greene said that she had been wrong to accuse Democrats of treason. She acknowledged that she is now a political outcast from both sides of the political divide.
“I'm, like, radioactive,” she acknowledged.
“Everyone's like, ‘She's changed,'” Greene added. “I haven't changed my views. But I've matured. I've developed depth. I've learned Washington, and I've come to understand the brokenness of the place.”
President Donald Trump said the United States had taken out a “big facility” last week as part of a pressure campaign against Venezuela but did not provide further details on the reported US action.
“We just knocked out — I don't know if you read or you saw — they have a big plant, or a big facility, where the ships come from. Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard,” Trump told John Catsimatidis, the major Republican donor whose radio show airs on WABC. The interview occurred on Friday.
The stray comment came amid a discussion of the president's ongoing campaign against Venezuela and its leader Nicolas Maduro, including strikes on alleged drug boats and a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers.
Trump did not expand on the action that he claimed took out a plant or facility, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment. It is also unclear to what facility the president was referring or where it was located.
One US official said the president was describing a drug facility, but declined to provide further detail about the action. There have been no reports from Venezuela of a major facility being destroyed.
Trump has been threatening strikes on land in Venezuela for weeks as the US has launched strikes destroying 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. American officials have said previously that targets could include drug production facilities or known trafficking routes.
The president has also authorized covert CIA action inside Venezuela as part of the campaign to increase pressure on Maduro.
During a Christmas Eve phone call to troops aboard the USS Gerald Ford, which Trump recently ordered deployed to the Caribbean Sea, Trump called the region an “interesting place” to be, and said the US would be “going after the land.”
If the timing the president referred to during his interview is correct, the strike on the facility would have occurred around the same time.
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Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua suffered bruises in a car crash that resulted in the deaths of two individuals on Monday, according to local police in Ogun State, Nigeria.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. (5 a.m ET) on a busy stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which connects Ogun to the commercial center of Lagos, police reported.
“Anthony Joshua is well and responding to treatment,” Babaseyi Boluwatife, a spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, told CNN.
Joshua, who has family ties in Ogun, sustained only “minor bruises,” but Boluwatife said two other occupants in the vehicle with him, including the driver, were killed. Those who died were foreign nationals, Ogun officials said.
According to a statement from Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Joshua was traveling in a Lexus SUV that collided with a parked truck while attempting to overtake.
It said preliminary findings indicated that the Lexus Jeep, “which was suspected to be traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor,” lost control while overtaking and crashed into the stationary truck at the side of the road.
The agency added, “The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways.”
A video showing Joshua being rescued from the wreckage has been circulating on social media. The boxer, born to Nigerian parents in Watford, near London, has stayed connected to his roots.
Joshua could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Exclusive poll: Americans are also increasingly blaming the White House for their financial woes
Twice as many Americans believe their financial security is getting worse than better, according to an exclusive new poll conducted for the Guardian, and they are increasingly blaming the White House.
The poll, conducted by Harris, will be a further blow to Donald Trump's efforts to fight off criticism of his handling of the economy and contains some worrying findings for the president.
Nearly half (45%) of Americans said their financial security is getting worse compared to 20% who said it's getting better.
57% of Americans said the US economy is undergoing a recession, up 11% from a similar poll that was conducted in February.
The US is not experiencing a recession, which is typically defined as two quarters of negative growth. And last week, the US posted far stronger than expected economic growth figures for the summer months.
But the pessimism underscores an economically tumultuous year. Americans have reported feeling shaken by Trump's tariffs, mass government layoffs and a crackdown on immigration. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence has dropped for five consecutive months.
The White House has insisted that it's “bringing our economy back from the brink of ruin”, as Trump said in a mid-December speech. “Now, under our leadership, [prices] are all coming down – and they're coming down fast,” the president said.
The new Harris poll underscores the sharp differences between political party, gender, race and income that shape how people see the current state of the economy. Republicans scored Joe Biden's handling of the economy far more harshly than Democrats during his term.
The stark divisions between Democrats and Republicans continue to persist. Democrats are almost twice as likely as Republicans to say their financial security is getting worse – 52% versus 27%.
But more concerningly for Republicans, who will have to fight next year to keep their majority in Congress, Trump hasn't been able to sway independents. A majority (54%) of independents said their financials are worsening, +9% compared with February's polling. Most independents (58%) also believe the country is experiencing a recession.
And more of the blame is being placed on the White House than ever before. When asked to choose between the government or corporations for the question “who is most responsible for any increasing prices”:
76% of Democrats said it was government management of the economy, +17% from February's poll.
72% of independents also pointed to the government, +14% from February.
Republicans were less likely to point to the government, with 55% saying it was government (-6% compared to February) and 45% blaming corporate practices.
Analysis after the 2024 election showed Trump gain with women and Hispanic voters. But in another worrying sign for Republicans, over the course of his first year, these voters have soured on the economy.
While Americans overall have grown more pessimistic this year, women are far less confident about the economy than men. Nearly two-thirds of women (62%) believe the US is experiencing a recession, +12% from February, compared with 52% of men who believe the same. And half of women (50%) believe their financial security is getting worse while 39% of men believe the same.
Stark racial gaps are seen for beliefs on the overall state of the US economy. Two-thirds of Black and Hispanic voters (66% and 67%, respectively) think the US is in a recession, compared with 52% of white voters. The jump for Hispanic voters was +11% from February, the highest jump among any race.
The poll also highlighted what some economists have referred to as the K-shaped economy – the divide in economic sentiment between wealthy Americans, who are the largest beneficiaries of a booming stock market, and everyone else. Of those who are making less than $50,000 a year, 59% said their financial security is getting worse, +13% compared to February's poll. In comparison, 37% of those making over $100,000 said things are getting worse.
This survey was conducted online within the US by The Harris Poll from 11 to 13 December 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 2,180 US adults.
FIRE is a personal finance movement which stands for 'financial independence, retire early.'brizmaker/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Kristy Shen retired in her 30s and is an author of the bestselling book Quit Like a Millionaire.
A reader wrote to us recently asking whether to delay her early retirement to spend money on her family and health. She wants IVF fertility treatments to have children, and would like to spend some money on coaching as an endurance athlete.
Neither of those things are cheap. Would it be a good idea to forgo those things to achieve her early retirement FIRE (financial independence, retire early) goal at age 45? After all, she wants to stop working while she's still young.
As someone who retired in their 30s after working a stressful job and investing for nine years, I understand the allure of having infinite time to pursue your passions, travel the world and spend time doing whatever you want, whenever you want.
It might seem quite logical to pursue this dream by accumulating money as quickly as possible, even at the detriment of everything else.
Ten years ago, as a bright-eyed 32-year-old, I would've thought this a noble pursuit. After all, I'd been taught by my mom that “money is the most important thing in the world.” When you grow up living on 44 cents a day, you focus constantly on making more money.
A summer camp for grown-ups trying to escape the work force forever with FIRE
While I still think FIRE is one of the best things I've pursued, I don't think it's worth sacrificing your relationships and health.
Money is a tool to help you buy back your time. But what good is free time if you spend it sad, sick or alone?
Even Warren Buffett, one the world's most celebrated investors said in his biography, that the highest measure of success in life comes by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you.
“Some people die filthy rich and get buildings named after them, but the truth is that nobody in the world loves them.”
I understand what he is saying. I feel it whenever my husband laces his fingers through mine as we walk down the street. Whenever my son wraps his sticky fingers around my neck and plants wet kisses on my cheek. Whenever my friends – my chosen family – bring me homemade soup after another harrowing week of household illnesses.
Instead of thinking of FIRE as a yardstick that measures your life's success, think of it as a well. It gives you a steady source of options.
You can “draw” on it for financial security when you need to step back from work to spend time with family. Or for when work gets overwhelming, and you need to downshift or pivot to another career for your health.
It isn't a “one-and-done” goal, but a resource you can continue replenishing and draw from as your life evolves.
Since water is fluid and adaptable, so are your FIRE plans. You can continue your dreams of building a family, supporting loved ones, or occasionally go back to participating in the working world to earn money rather than closing off the well once you've hit a specific financial target.
The Decibel: Meet the people who save aggressively to retire early
Replenishing the well and drawing on it in times of need works best when you know your values and priorities. Don't draw from it mindlessly to pay for status symbols that only feed your ego.
Draw from it to improve your health and water your relationships. Replenish it by forgoing those things you don't care about so you can draw from it for things you do care about.
Here's how I responded to the reader: “Sacrificing starting a family to achieve FIRE is not worth it. Neither is sacrificing your health. I would rather you retire later with the family you want, and in amazing physical shape, rather than retiring at 45 with no family and in worse health.”
When it comes to FIRE, money is important but it's not everything. Measure your life by love instead of money, and you'll be truly wealthy.
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In Ukraine's cemeteries, some graves are more than symbols of memory. They hold the truth about the country's enduring place in European culture, testifying to centuries of creative achievement and innovation — and to the lengths Russia has gone to obscure and even try to steal that legacy.
"The Invisible Gallery," a new cultural initiative that highlights the lives of eight Ukrainian artists, seeks to bring greater attention to Ukraine's historical contributions to the art world. Through a guided tour of Lukianivske Cemetery in Kyiv, visitors can discover how these artists contributed to art amid empire collapse, war, and repression.
"Russia's long-standing colonial policy toward Ukraine has historically led many Ukrainian artists to be mistakenly associated with Russian culture, or for their legacy to have been suppressed in the USSR," said journalist Darka Hirna, who conceived the project.
"The ongoing full-scale war has intensified discussions in Ukrainian society about these artists and how they often had no choice but to study and work in Russia, yet still identified themselves with Ukrainian culture."
In order to realize Hirna's idea for "The Invisible Gallery," The Ukrainians Media teamed up with Lady Di Atelier, Lukianivske Cemetery, and the National Art Museum of Ukraine. An interactive website allows people to explore their legacies in greater depth.
There are around 40 artists buried at the cemetery in total. However, "The Invisible Gallery" focuses specifically on artists Oleksandr Bohomazov, Mykola Murashko, Viktor Palmov, Fedir Krychevskyi, Oleksandr Murashko, Volodymyr Orlovskyi, Serhii Sviatoslavskyi, and Mykola Pymonenko.
Mykola Murashko (1844–1909) was a founder of the Kyiv Drawing School and authored some of the earliest manuals for art students in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Orlovskyi (1842–1914) is considered one of the founders of Ukrainian Realist landscape painting, while Serhii Sviatoslavskyi (1857–1931) specifically excelled in plein air landscape painting, capturing Ukrainian outdoor life with atmospheric sensitivity.
Realist painter Mykola Pymonenko (1862–1912) documented urban and rural Ukrainian life with ethnographic precision, and among his students was a young Kazimir Malevich.
Oleksandr Murashko (1875–1919), nephew of Mykola Murashko, studied under Ilya Repin at the Imperial Academy of Arts before evolving from realism into a vivid, colorful Impressionism influenced by his time in Munich and Paris. His psychologically penetrating portraits, including the iconic "Girl in a Red Hat", established him as one of Ukraine's most famous artists.
Fedir Krychevskyi (1879–1947), an early modernist painter who synthesized Ukrainian folk traditions with European modernism, also became one of the founders and rector of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts.
Oleksandr Bohomazov (1880–1930) emerged as a leading figure in Ukraine's avant-garde scene, developing a distinctive Cubo-Futurist style that fragmented form and color into dynamic, energetic compositions. Viktor Palmov (1888–1929) pushed avant-garde experimentation even further through bold color contrasts and expressive techniques that challenged conventional artistic approaches.
The lives of these eight artists spanned periods of massive upheaval for both Ukraine and the world, including World War I triggering the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, the Ukrainian War of Independence from 1917 to 1921, the Communist authorities' establishment of the Ukrainian SSR in 1922, the Great Terror of the 1930s under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, and the mass devastation caused by World War II.
Informational plaques featuring each of the eight artists draw visitors from the hush of the cemetery into their lives and the periods they inhabited.
"The priority (of this project) was the visual appeal of the informational plaques at the cemetery and ensuring that interacting with them was enjoyable and convenient," Kateryna Samboryk, co-creator and producer of "The Invisible Gallery," told the Kyiv Independent.
As the project's launch approached, the creators of the project realized it needed to begin with an immersive debut tour that would emphasize the appeal of visiting the cemetery — a task for which they enlisted the help of the cemetery staff. This included a woman whom the creators of the project affectionately refer to as Ms. Oksana.
"Ms. Oksana revealed to attendees (of the tour) details about the artists' burials, how they lived, what they did for their country beyond creating incredible paintings, as well as information about their families, estates, and the sculptures on their graves," Samboryk said.
"In the spring, we plan to expand the series of tours and reach an even larger audience."
By drawing visitors' attention to these artists' through visits to their graves, Hirna hopes the project will do more than revive interest in their work. She also aims to spotlight a larger vision — a public discussion about Ukraine's need to cultivate its own kind of Pantheon.
"We are used to the fact that many of the graves of our state builders and prominent public and cultural figures are scattered across cemeteries around the world due to the terrible events of the 20th century," she said.
In France, the Pantheon serves as a secular mausoleum, a place where the country's most celebrated writers, scientists, and political figures are laid to rest, their collective achievements enshrined as a testament to their impact on French society.
Embracing this European tradition of cultural memory, "in which a historical cemetery is not only a place of mourning but also a cultural space," would help strengthen Ukrainian society during one of its most difficult periods, according to Hirna.
Hi, this is Kate Tsurkan, thanks for reading this article. I always love a good cemetery story, not to mention one that's mixed in with decolonizing historical memory. I hope you were intrigued by this project as much as I was when I first learned about it. If you like reading about this sort of thing, please consider supporting The Kyiv Independent.
Culture Reporter
Kate Tsurkan is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent who writes mostly about culture-related topics. Her newsletter Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan, which focuses specifically on Ukrainian culture, is published weekly by the Kyiv Independent and is partially supported by a generous grant from the Nadia Sophie Seiler Fund.
Kate co-translated Oleh Sentsov's “Diary of a Hunger Striker,” Myroslav Laiuk's “Bakhmut,” Andriy Lyubka's “War from the Rear,” and Khrystia Vengryniuk's “Long Eyes,” among other books. Some of her previous writing and translations have appeared in the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Harpers, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is the co-founder of Apofenie Magazine and, in addition to Ukrainian and Russian, also knows French.
US President Donald Trump is correct to say that Ukraine peace talks are in their final phase, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Trump hosted Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky in Miami on Sunday for the latest round of discussions on a possible peace proposal for Russia. Asked whether Trump was right to assert that the world is now much closer to peace, Peskov said that “certainly” was the case.
During his joint press conference with Zelensky, Trump said the deal was 95% ready, even though he personally didn't like to measure progress in percentages. “We're doing very well,” he added. “We could be very close.”
Peskov said Trump is yet to brief Putin on the details of his latest talks with Zelensky, which the two leaders agreed would happen in a phone call soon. He also reiterated Moscow's reluctance to make public comments about the specifics of American mediation.
Earlier, Zelensky revealed a 20-point plan that he claimed was under consideration, but Trump did not express support for the draft during the joint press conference. When asked later whether the US had a ‘Plan B' should its mediation fail, Zelensky said that Russia should be the party thinking about a backup, because allegedly “Russia's ‘Plan A' is war.”
When asked about the remarks, Peskov said Kiev should heed Trump's warnings that the situation on the front was getting worse for Ukrainian troops every day. He stressed that “Russia is seeking the suspension of the military conflict in the context of achieving its objectives.”
Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly stated that Moscow has always preferred to seek diplomatic solutions to all differences and considers military action only as a last resort, which was the case with Ukraine. Russia sees NATO's increasing involvement in Ukraine and Kiev's discriminatory policies targeting ethnic Russians as the key causes of the crisis.
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Experts say taxes, lifestyle factors and immigration rules are just some of the reasons Canadians with dreams of moving abroad end up staying put.Illustration by Photo illustration by The Globe and Mail/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Lawyers and financial planners across the country are fielding more calls from Canadians asking what it would take to leave the country. But while interest in emigrating appears to be rising, many of those inquiries never turn into an actual move.
Rahul Sharma, a partner at law firm Fasken, describes many would-be emigrants as “tire kickers.” They're typically wealthy Canadians over the age of 50 who explore their options, imagine a different lifestyle and shop around for a new country, only to stay put in Canada once they confront the true costs and legal complexity of leaving.
But there are some calls that come in that do turn into action. Professionals who spoke with The Globe and Mail say the more meaningful outflow from the country is happening earlier, among young entrepreneurs with early traction who leave before they ever build or register significant wealth in Canada.
“I think we should be alarmed about these individuals and their desire to leave,” Mr. Sharma said. He has seen many young people want to go because they “simply do not see Canada as providing them with an environment in which to succeed at the entrepreneurial level.”
That concern comes as Canada appears to be losing some of its appeal among high-net-worth individuals more broadly, according to a 2025 report from advisory firm Henley & Partners. Using data from research firm New World Wealth, the report estimates Canada will see a net inflow of about 1,000 wealthy migrants in 2025, the lowest figure on record.
Experts who spoke to The Globe and Mail said common reasons for wanting to leave the country include dissatisfaction with quality of life and concerns about the economic outlook in Canada.
Many Canadians feel 'disadvantaged' by the country's tax system, experts say.GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images
Still, the most persistent driver among middle-aged wealthy Canadians is taxes, said Brandon Davies, founder of Clarity Cross Border, a financial planning firm, and a financial planner certified in both Canada and the United States.
He said that many wealthy Canadians feel “disadvantaged” by the high tax rates they are subject to. In Ontario, for example, the surtax on personal income can reach 56 per cent. For some, the idea of relocating to a lower-tax jurisdiction is tempting, especially when they compare potential savings abroad to the heavy tax burden at home.
Mr. Davies said that lifestyle factors weigh heavily, too. Canada's harsh winters are a major consideration, particularly for older residents or those seeking a more relaxed, outdoor-oriented lifestyle. “They want to be the people on a yacht while others are shovelling snow,” he said.
From Portugal to Mexico, snowbirds are scouting beyond the U.S. for vacation homes
For young entrepreneurs, Greg Moore, a partner at Richter Family Office, which manages many high-net-worth clients, said many want to be surrounded by people similar to them. They can often find that in the United States, in places such as Silicon Valley.
“You also have an environment where raising capital is a lot easier,” Mr. Moore said, referring to the U.S. “There's a lot more money around willing to flow into venture capital to support these young entrepreneurs. There's a culture of risk-taking that is more evident within the United States.”
A recent study from Toronto venture-capital firm Leaders Fund found that just 32.4 per cent of Canadian-led “high-potential” startups launched in 2024 were headquartered in this country. The survey defined these startups as having raised US$1-million, with most of their senior leaders educated in Canada, and tracked 2,932 such companies over a decade.
“All of that creates an environment which is much more supportive of entrepreneurs,” Mr. Moore said.
But the reality of emigrating is often far more complicated than clients expect. “It's not as easy as packing up your bags and leaving,” said Jenna Schwartz, a partner at Richter.
One of the biggest obstacles to leaving the country is the departure tax.
When someone emigrates, the Canada Revenue Agency treats certain assets as if they were sold on the day they leave – a “deemed disposition” that can produce tax bills in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. While the tax can be deferred, Ms. Schwartz said doing so requires months, and sometimes years, of planning.
Flee Canada? Companies considering a U.S. move quickly learn it's costly and complicated – and can even backfire
The process becomes even more complex for business owners. Shares must be valued, and departure tax may be owed on those shares, even if the business is not being sold. “That isn't always an exercise that everyone wants to do, particularly if they're not actually looking to sell that business,” she said.
If a business is moved and begins operating in the U.S., the company itself becomes a separate taxpayer subject to a different regulatory regime, Ms. Schwartz said.
After confronting those realities, many clients reconsider. “They take a sober second look and say, ‘Okay, is this really something that I want to do?' ” Ms. Schwartz said. Often, the answer is no, she said.
Young entrepreneurs tend to face fewer obstacles, and that's why they are the ones who typically end up leaving Canada, experts say. With smaller portfolios and fewer family obligations, they often incur less departure tax and may not need to move an established business, Ms. Schwartz said.
Then there's health care. While Canada's system covers most medical costs, emigrants often face steep private insurance premiums abroad. For clients moving to the U.S., annual coverage can easily exceed $20,000. “I can't tell you how many times I have seen the sticker shock on a client's face when I explained that to them” for U.S. health care costs, Mr. Davies said.
Immigration rules can be another deterrent, he added. It's not easy to move to a different country, and visas may be temporary or tied to employment, making it difficult to move an entire family. The holders of TN visas, which permit qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to work in the U.S., for example, must leave if they lose their job, and spouses may not be permitted to work.
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WASHINGTON, December 29. /TASS/. The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky took place at the US leader's Mar-a-Lago estate near West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump said that the territorial issue is one of the remaining unresolved issues in the negotiations to settle the conflict in Ukraine. Trump and Zelensky also announced the formation of working groups to address the issue.
TASS has compiled the main information on the meeting results.
On December 28, Trump received Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago estate near West Palm Beach, Florida.
Following more than two hours of bilateral talks, Trump and Zelensky participated in a video conference with European leaders.
The hour-long video conference focused on security guarantees. After the talks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X that good progress had been made.
At a joint press conference, Trump acknowledged that the territorial issue remains unresolved in the Ukrainian settlement process.
He opined that Russia, the US, and Ukraine are now "much closer" to a deal than ever before.
According to the US president, an agreement could be reached in "a few weeks." However, Trump admitted that it may not be possible to reach a deal at all.
In turn, Zelensky stated that Ukraine's position on territorial concessions still differs from Russia's.
He also said that 90% of the peace plan has been agreed upon and that security guarantees for Kiev have been agreed upon entirely.
In addition, Zelensky changed his position, admitting that the peace deal could be approved by a vote in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) instead of a referendum.
At a joint press conference, Trump and Zelensky announced the composition of the working groups on the settlement.
The US working group on Ukraine will include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, businessman Jared Kushner, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane.
The Ukrainian working group on the settlement will include Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov, and First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa.
US Undersecretary of State Sarah Rogers has defended Washington's decision to sanction several Europeans, saying that “extraterritorial censorship of Americans” undermines free speech and innovation. Last week, the US State Department imposed sanctions on five individuals, including British nationals Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, German citizens Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, and former EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said those targeted had “led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.” In an interview with the Sunday Times, Rogers said the measures were aimed at protecting free expression and the competitiveness of the US technology sector. “These are people who, in many cases, took government money to destroy American businesses for the purpose of suppressing American speech,” she said. “These are, ultimately, serious decisions that rest with the Secretary of State and take into account all of our foreign policy priorities. But free speech is one of those priorities, and so is the continued ability of the American tech sector to lead and innovate,” she added.
The sanctions come amid a widening dispute between the US and the EU over online speech regulation, digital platform governance, and the reach of national laws beyond their borders. Elon Musk, whose platform X was fined about €120 million ($140 million) by EU regulators for what they described as violations of transparency rules set out in the bloc's Digital Services Act, welcomed the move, calling it “so great.” Earlier, Musk blasted the penalty, calling the EU a “bureaucratic monster” that should be abolished, while accusing Brussels of trying to pressure X into censoring speech. French President Emmanuel Macron, who appointed Breton himself, accused Washington of “coercion and intimidation.” UK Labour MP Chi Onwurah said banning individuals over speech disputes undermines the free speech the US administration claims to defend. The rift was reflected in Washington's latest National Security Strategy, which warned that the EU faces potential “civilizational erasure” due to curbs on free speech, suppression of political opposition, and regulatory pressure on innovation.
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WASHINGTON, December 29. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said he agreed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that a ceasefire amid arrangements for holding a referendum in Ukraine would not work.
Reporters asked the US leader to share the details of his phone call with Putin regarding whether Russia had agreed to a ceasefire for the period of holding a referendum in Ukraine. "Not a ceasefire, and that's one of the points that we're working on right now. No, not a ceasefire. He (Putin - TASS) feels that. Look, you know, they're fighting, and to stop, and then if they have to start again, which is a possibility. He doesn't want to be in that position. I understand that position," Trump said at a joint press conference with Vladimir Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on December 28.
"The [Russian] president feels strongly about that or something, but I think we're finding ways that we can get around that. But I understand President Putin from that standpoint. You know, you have to understand the other side. And you know, I'm on the side of peace. I'm on the side of stopping the war," the US leader added. "I think that's a problem that's going to get solved," he concluded.
Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov revealed that in the phone call on December 28 the two presidents "generally shared the view that a temporary ceasefire proposed by the Ukrainians and Europeans — whether to prepare for a referendum or for other reasons — would only prolong the conflict and could lead to a resumption of hostilities."
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., defends her COVID-era MEALS Act amid USDA fraud allegations, telling Fox News Digital she doesn't regret the bill.
A pair of companies owned by Tim Mynett, the husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., have exploded in value in recent years, growing more than 20 times in under a year, according to congressional disclosures, prompting questions about how the companies achieved their apparent rapid success.
It's a picture that contrasts bleakly with mounting revelations of fraud in Minnesota as investigations indicate the losses through abuse of government programs could top $9 billion.
Ballpark revelations about Omar's assets show a steep increase in the value of her husband's company holdings since 2020.
LAWMAKERS PROBE SBA LOANS LINKED TO MINNESOTA'S $9B FRAUD SCANDAL: 'RECKLESS DECISION MAKING'
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has "absolutely" no regrets about the 2020 MEALS Act because "it did help feed kids." (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Omar disclosed 2024 evaluations of Rose Lake Capital LLC, a business firm co-founded by her husband, at somewhere between $5 million and $25 million in 2024. Just one year before, in 2023, she reported that the same company's value was between $1 and $1,000.
Congressional disclosures, categorized in ranges of value, don't provide the precise details of how much a member's holdings are worth. Even so, assuming the smallest possible change year over year, Rose Lake Capital's evaluation has climbed thousands of times in just one year.
According to Rose Lake Capital's website, the company facilitates deal-making, mergers and acquisitions, banking, politics and diplomacy.
The company roster of employees included an impressive cast of figures like Adam Ereli — a lobbyist and former ambassador to Bahrain under the Obama administration. According to previous versions of the website accessible on an internet archive, the company also brought in former Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and a pair of former associates from the Democratic National Committee (DNC): William Derrough, the former treasurer for the DNC, and Alex Hoffman, a previous chief of staff to the national finance chair.
Mynett, Omar's third husband, co-founded the company in 2022.
With mounting public pressure on Omar surrounding multi-billion fraud schemes in Minnesota — and questions about whether the congresswoman could have benefited from them — the company has since stripped its website of all its team member names and bios. It's unclear if any of them remain affiliated with the company.
COMER WARNS 'WALLS ARE CAVING IN' ON TIM WALZ AS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WIDENS
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sits with her husband, Tim Mynett, during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Omar's office did not respond to a request for comment about the company's growth or why it removed the names of its employees.
Similarly, ESTCRU LLC, a winery registered in Santa Rosa, California, that first appeared on Omar's disclosure reports in 2020, reported a value between $1 million and $5 million in 2024. It was evaluated at just $15,000 to $50,000 the year before.
Despite its increased evaluation, the company's portal for purchasing wine doesn't appear to work. The company also lacks a recent social media footprint, with its last post having gone up in January 2023.
FBI SURGES RESOURCES TO MINNESOTA AS PATEL CALLS $250M FRAUD SCHEME 'TIP OF ICEBERG'
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is facing pressure to answer questions over the rampant fraud in Minnesota. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The phone number displayed on its website also is not in operation.
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Omar's office did not respond to a request for comment about the evaluations of either company. The clerk for the House of Representatives has not yet released disclosures for 2025.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
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China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and rocket troops to conduct joint military drills around the island of Taiwan, a move Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces. (AP video shot by Wayne Zhang)
In this image taken off video, a Taiwan fighter jet lands at the Hsinchu Airbase in Taiwan on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Wu Taijing)
In this image taken off video, a Taiwan fighter jet prepares to land at the Hsinchu Airbase in Taiwan on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Wu Taijing)
In this image taken off video, Sun Li-fang, Taiwan Defense Ministry spokesperson speaks about China's latest military drills during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Wu Taijing)
HONG KONG (AP) — China's military on Monday dispatched air, navy and missile units to conduct joint live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces. Taiwan said it was placing forces on alert and called the Chinese government “the biggest destroyer of peace.”
Taiwan's aviation authority said more than 100,000 international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.
The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at what could be the largest-ever U.S. arms sale to the self-ruled territory, and at a statement by Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, saying its military could get involved if China takes action against Taiwan. China says Taiwan must come under its rule.
China's military did not mention the United States and Japan in its statement on Monday, but Beijing's foreign ministry accused Taiwan's ruling party of trying to seek independence through requesting U.S. support.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said rapid response exercises were underway, with forces on high alert. “The Chinese Communist Party's targeted military exercises further confirm its nature as an aggressor and the biggest destroyer of peace,” it said.
Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a near-daily basis, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of the exercises.
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Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China's People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command, said the drills would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, southwest, southeast and east of the island.
Shi said activities would focus on sea-air combat readiness patrol, “joint seizure of comprehensive superiority” and blockades on key ports. It was the first large-scale military drill where the command publicly mentioned one goal was “all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain.”
“It is a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence' separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when a civil war brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan. The island has operated since then with its own government, though the mainland's government claims it as sovereign territory.
China's command on Monday deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside long-range rockets, to the north and southwest of the Taiwan Strait. It carried out live-fire exercises against targets in the waters. Among other training, drills to test the capabilities of sea-air coordination and precise target hunting were conducted in the waters and airspace to the east of the strait.
Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence of the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, said that as of 3 p.m. Monday, 89 aircraft and drones were operating around the strait, with 67 of them entering the “response zone” — airspace under the force's monitoring and response. The ministry detected 14 navy ships around the strait and four other warships in the Western Pacific, in addition to 14 coast guard vessels.
“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait ... does not only mean military pressure on us. It may bring more complex impact and challenges to the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh told reporters.
Military drills are set to continue Tuesday. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration said Chinese authorities had issued a notice saying seven temporary dangerous zones would be set up around the strait to carry out rocket-firing exercises from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., barring aircraft from entering them.
The Taiwanese aviation authority said more than 850 international flights were initially scheduled during that period and the drills would affect over 100,000 travelers. Over 80 domestic flights, involving around 6,000 passengers, were also canceled, it added.
Commercial airlines began to announce dozens of cancellations and delays for domestic routes across Taiwan, particularly ones along islands near China.
The Chinese command released themed posters about the drills online accompanied by provocative wording. One depicted two shields with the Great Wall alongside three military aircraft and two ships. Its social media post said the drills were about the “Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion,” adding that any foreign interlopers or separatists touching the shields would be eliminated.
Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion. It still requires approval by the U.S. Congress.
Under U.S. federal law in place for many years, Washington is obligated to assist Taipei with its defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China. The U.S. and Taiwan had formal diplomatic relations until 1979, when President Jimmy Carter's administration recognized and established relations with Beijing.
Asked about the drills, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party has attempted “to seek independence by soliciting U.S. support and even risk turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot.”
“External forces' attempts to use Taiwan to contain China and to arm Taiwan will only embolden the Taiwan independence forces and push the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war,” he said.
There was no immediate U.S. statement on the drills.
Karen Kuo, spokesperson for the Taiwanese president's office, said the drills were undermining the stability and security of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region and openly challenging international law and order.
“Our country strongly condemns the Chinese authorities for disregarding international norms and using military intimidation to threaten neighboring countries.” she said.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry released a video that featured its weapons and forces in a show of resilience. Multiple French Mirage-2000 aircraft conducted landings at an air force base.
In October, the Taiwanese government said it would accelerate the building of a “Taiwan Shield” or “T-Dome” air defense system in the face of the military threat from China.
The military tensions came a day after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he hoped the Taiwan Strait would be associated with peace and prosperity, instead of “crashing waves and howling winds,” during a trip to Shanghai.
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Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman joins 'Fox News Live' reacting to China and Russia's public condemnation of U.S. military pressure against Venezuela as oil tanker blockades continue to impact their economies.
China on Monday launched its largest military exercises ever around Taiwan, surrounding the island with warships, aircraft and live-fire drills as tensions spiked following a record U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
The drills, known as "Justice Mission 2025," involve coordinated deployments of ground forces, naval vessels, fighter jets, drones and artillery across seven maritime zones encircling Taiwan.
China's Eastern Theater Command said the exercises include simulated strikes on land and sea targets and rehearsals to blockade Taiwan's main ports, a scenario analysts say would be central to any attempt to isolate or coerce the island.
Live-fire exercises are scheduled to continue through Tuesday, with China designating large danger zones for artillery firing closer to Taiwan than in any previous round of drills. The scope of the operation has already disrupted civilian air and sea traffic, forcing airlines to reroute flights and Taiwan's aviation authority to plan alternative airspace corridors.
Chinese military officials defended the exercises as a response to separatism and foreign involvement. "It is a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence' separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China's People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command, said.
The military escalation comes less than two weeks after the U.S. approved an $11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the largest such sale ever. Beijing denounced the deal, warning it risks turning Taiwan into a "powder keg" and driving the region toward "military confrontation and war."
China launched its largest military exercises ever around Taiwan on Monday. ( Eastern Theater Command/Handout via Reuters)
CHINA WARNS OF RISING WAR RISK AFTER HISTORIC US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN
The package includes 82 HIMARS rocket launchers paired with 420 ATACMS long-range missiles, giving Taiwan a new deep-strike capability across the Taiwan Strait. It also includes 60 self-propelled howitzers, advanced unmanned aerial vehicle systems, military software packages and anti-armor weapons.
"The ‘Taiwan independence' forces on the island seek independence through force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
"This cannot save the doomed fate of ‘Taiwan independence' but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war. The U.S. support for ‘Taiwan Independence' through arms will only end up backfiring. Using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed."
TAIWAN GENERAL WARNS CHINA'S MILITARY DRILLS COULD BE PREPARATION FOR BLOCKADE OR WAR, VOWS TO RESIST
As the drills unfolded, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 89 Chinese military aircraft, 14 naval vessels and 14 coast guard ships were operating around the island, with additional warships spotted farther out in the Western Pacific. Some Chinese vessels were engaged in close stand-offs with Taiwanese ships near the island's contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from shore.
A Chinese ship fires missiles during a live-fire exercise. (Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters)
"Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait … would not only constitute military pressure on us, but could also pose more complex challenges and impacts for the international community and neighboring countries," Hsieh Jih-sheng, Taiwan's deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence, told reporters.
Taiwan placed its military on high alert and said it was prepared to conduct rapid response exercises if the drills escalated. The defense ministry released a video highlighting its own capabilities, including U.S.-made HIMARS systems, while the coast guard deployed large patrol ships to monitor Chinese vessels near its waters.
Chinese state media said the exercises focus on sealing off Taiwan's key deep-water ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, reinforcing concern that Beijing is refining blockade options short of an outright invasion.
A screen in Beijing displays China's live-fire drills.
China also released propaganda videos and posters alongside the drills, including footage depicting automated humanoid robots, swarms of micro-drones and weaponized robotic dogs attacking the island, as well as imagery appearing to show civilian vessels that analysts say could support an amphibious assault.
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"I think these drills are just meant to scare us," said Lin Wei-ming, a 31-year-old teacher in Taipei. "Similar drills have happened before … the political side of things can only be handled by Taiwan's current government and how they choose to respond."
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects that claim, maintaining that only its people can decide the island's future.
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The multi-state manhunt for the Brown and MIT shooting suspect is over after police found his body in a New Hampshire storage unit. Officials confirm a link between the suspect and the MIT professor he killed.
Across the country this year, fugitives on the run turned quiet neighborhoods, rural towns and college campuses into crime scenes. Five major manhunts, each chaotic in its own way, sent police scrambling, triggered lockdowns and highlighted how quickly suspects can disappear.
Ten inmates, including several accused of murder, escaped through a hole behind a toilet at Orleans Justice Center in the early morning hours of May 16, triggering a monthslong, multi-agency manhunt across Louisiana and beyond.
The inmates taunted authorities on their way out, leaving handwritten messages on the cell wall, including one that read, "To easy LOL."
NEW ORLEANS OFFICIALS GRILLED OVER 'COORDINATED' 10-INMATE JAILBREAK
New Orleans jail escapee Gary Price is escorted to a helicopter by police who captured him. (Louisiana State Police)
Jail staff did not realize the inmates were missing until about 8:30 a.m., hours after the escape, officials later acknowledged during a City Council meeting.
The breakout exposed deep security failures inside the aging jail, from staffing shortages to long-ignored maintenance issues. An employee of the New Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office was charged with allegedly aiding the escape by turning off water in the cell, while two suspected accomplices were also arrested in connection with allegedly helping the inmates.
"First of all, that jail had been deemed a train wreck in terms of just basic jail operations," former federal prison Warden Cameron Lindsay previously told Fox News Digital.
"It would appear that basic security inspections were not taking place. Inmates should never be able to tear a toilet off a wall and go straight to the perimeter fence. I just can't believe that."
By October, all 10 escapees had been captured, but the incident triggered intense scrutiny of jail oversight and leadership.
Former police chief and convicted killer Grant Hardin, 56, slipped out of the Calico Rock prison on May 25 by disguising himself as a corrections officer — a breach made possible when a guard mistook him for staff.
Nicknamed the "Devil in the Ozarks," Hardin escaped through a sally port wearing a makeshift Arkansas Department of Correction-style uniform, prison officials said, noting it was not an official uniform.
NOTORIOUS 'DEVIL IN THE OZARKS' FINALLY CAUGHT AFTER WEEKS-LONG MANHUNT THAT DREW MULTIPLE AGENCIES
Grant Hardin allegedly used a black marker and soup can to disguise himself before escaping prison. (U.S. Border Patrol)
The former police chief pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a man inside the victim's work truck in 2017. After submitting DNA samples when he was booked for the murder case, his DNA was linked to the 1997 cold-case rape of a teacher. He pleaded guilty in that case in 2019, according to KNWA.
"This guy is just so evil. I mean, this guy is a sociopath," survivalist Shawn Hendrix previously told Fox News Digital. "[Hardin] has no care for humans or anybody but himself. He's law-enforcement trained. He has a history of issues in and out of the police. I think there's a whole bigger story of how this guy was a cop for 27 years, right? … I would not want to be out looking for this guy."
The escape sparked a massive manhunt across the rugged Ozark terrain involving state police, the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI. Hardin was captured on June 6, nearly two weeks later, less than two miles from the prison.
"Thanks to the great work of local, state and federal law enforcement, Arkansans can breathe a sigh of relief and I can confirm that violent criminal Grant Hardin is back in custody," Gov. Sarah Sanders said following his capture. "I am grateful for all law enforcement who contributed to his capture and give special thanks to the Trump administration and Secretary Kristi Noem, who sent a team from Border Patrol that was instrumental in tracking and apprehending Hardin."
After murdering his three daughters, Travis Caleb Decker vanished into rural Washington state, setting off one of the largest manhunts Chelan County has ever seen.
Investigators began searching for Decker in late May after he failed to return his daughters, Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5, to their mother following a scheduled visitation. The children's bodies were later found near Rock Island Campground along Icicle Creek with bags over their heads. Autopsies determined the girls died from suffocation.
FUGITIVE DAD TRAVIS DECKER CONFIRMED DEAD AS DNA MATCHES REMAINS FOUND IN WASHINGTON STATE: OFFICIALS
In this handout photo provided by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, deputies participate in the search for Travis Decker at an undisclosed location in Washington state, Friday, June 6, 2025. (Snohomish County Sheriff's Office photo via AP; Chelan County Sheriff's Office)
An Army veteran with extensive survival training, Decker managed to evade capture as teams from multiple counties and federal agencies combed vast stretches of wilderness.
His remains were eventually discovered in September, bringing the manhunt to a close.
"To Whitney, we apologize it's taken this long to get the closure we were looking for in this case," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said in a news conference, referring to Decker's ex-wife and the mother of the three slain girls. "But I hope you can rest easier at night knowing Travis is accounted for. He is deceased, our DNA results confirmed that and this will bring a close to our case."
A deadly mass shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda left four people dead on Aug. 1, prompting a weeklong, multi-agency manhunt through rugged terrain after the suspected gunman fled the scene.
Authorities identified 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, a former U.S. Army soldier, as the suspect in the fatal quadruple homicide and said he was tracked for days before being taken into custody about five-and-a-half miles from the crime scene, near a barn west of Anaconda.
During the search, officials warned Brown was armed and extremely dangerous as law enforcement expanded operations across steep, heavily wooded areas.
ARMY VETERAN ARRESTED AFTER WEEK-LONG MANHUNT FOLLOWING DEADLY MONTANA BAR MASSACRE THAT KILLED 4 PEOPLE
The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, where Michael Paul Brown allegedly killed four people. (Fox News Digital)
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte praised the coordinated response of local, state and federal authorities at a news briefing, saying officers "didn't waste a second" in the effort to locate the suspect. Attorney General Austin Knudsen said approximately 130 personnel assisted in the manhunt and credited community tips with helping lead investigators to Brown.
The victims were identified as Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74, all residents of Anaconda.
Investigators said Brown initially fled the bar on foot and was later believed to be using a stolen vehicle, allowing him to evade capture for several days before his arrest.
Some residents told Fox News Digital they had previously described Brown as volatile, with individuals saying they warned neighbors he might "snap" before the shooting.
A deadly classroom attack inside Brown University's Barus and Holley engineering building killed two students and wounded nine others during a finals-week review session on Dec. 13, triggering a massive multi-agency manhunt.
LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERT WARNS EARLY DETAILS ‘OFTEN CHANGE' AS MANHUNT INTENSIFIES AT BROWN UNIVERSITY
A split image shows Claudio Neves-Valente, identified as the Brown University gunman, wearing the same jacket as a man identified earlier as a person of interest in the case. (Providence Police Department)
The victims were identified as Ella Cook, a vice president of the College Republicans from Birmingham, Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an aspiring neurosurgeon from Virginia.
Authorities later identified 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, a Portuguese national, as the suspected gunman. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, during the search. Investigators believe he was also responsible for the fatal shooting of an MIT professor days later.
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The manhunt and its aftermath left campuses nationwide reexamining safety measures, as investigators worked to retrace Neves-Valente's movements using surveillance video, public tips and physical evidence.
Fox News Digital's Peter D'Abrosca, Bonny Chu, Andrea Margolis, Stephen Sorace, Michael Ruiz, Julia Bonavita and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.
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U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing criticism after he welcomed home a recently released Egyptian prisoner who allegedly posted violent and antisemitic language on his social media in the past.
Successive British governments have pushed for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a dual British Egyptian national who had been behind bars in Egypt for most of the last 14 years.
He was released from prison in September following a pardon by the Egyptian president, but remained in the country under a travel ban that was only recently lifted, allowing him to return to the U.K. on Friday.
Starmer celebrated Abd el-Fattah's return by saying he was "delighted" that the activist had been reunited with his family in Britain.
TRUMP SECURES RELEASE OF AMERICAN TRAPPED IN SAUDI ARABIA FOR YEARS OVER ONLINE POSTS
Pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah after he received a presidential pardon. (AP)
Meanwhile, a senior member of the opposition Conservative Party criticized Starmer for giving a "personal, public endorsement" to Abd el-Fattah.
Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor, wanted to know whether Starmer was aware of past social media posts in which Abd el-Fattah allegedly endorsed killing Zionists and police. Jenrick also demanded that Starmer condemn Abd el-Fattah's remarks and withdraw his "unalloyed endorsement" of the activist.
"Nobody should be imprisoned arbitrarily nor for peaceful dissent," Jenrick wrote. "But neither should the prime minister place the authority of his office behind someone whose own words cross into the language of racism and bloodshed."
Jenrick, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have called for Abd el-Fattah's British citizenship to be revoked and for him to be deported.
UK COMEDY WRITER GRAHAM LINEHAN ARRESTED OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CRITICIZING TRANS ACTIVISTS
Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated Alaa Abd el-Fattah's return by saying he was "delighted" that the activist had been reunited with his family in Britain. ((Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images))
The U.K. government later clarified that the prime minister did not know about the "abhorrent" social media posts when he issued the welcoming statement.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement that it had been "a long-standing priority" of governments under both major parties to push for Abd el-Fattah's release, but it said that does not imply an endorsement of his social media posts.
"The government condemns Mr. El-Fattah's historic tweets and considers them to be abhorrent," the statement said.
Abd el-Fattah issued an "unequivocal apology" on Sunday, describing his past comments as the "expressions of a young man's anger" during regional crises and police brutality in Egypt.
The U.K. government said it considers Alaa Abd el-Fattah's social media posts to be "abhorrent." (Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images)
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Abd el-Fattah's family in the U.K. had argued that he spent most of the past 14 years behind bars because of his opposition to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government.
His mother, Laila Soueif, 69, was on a 10-month hunger strike to pressure British authorities to do more to secure her son's freedom.
Shortly after Abd el-Fattah arrived at London's Heathrow Airport, critics began circulating his past social media posts. Abd el-Fattah has previously said the comments were taken out of context and were part of a "private conversation" that happened during an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to The Times of London.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world."
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Officials said a train accident in southern Mexico killed at least 13 people and injured dozens. The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails Sunday as it passed a curve near the town of Nizanda. (AP Video shot by Janet Cabrera)
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) — Officials said a train accident in southern Mexico killed at least 13 people and injured dozens, halting traffic along a rail line connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico.
The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz went off the rails Sunday as it passed a curve near the town of Nizanda.
“The Mexican Navy has informed me that, tragically, 13 people died in the Interoceanic Train accident,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on X, adding that 98 people are injured, five of them seriously.
She said she instructed the secretary of the navy and the undersecretary of human rights of the Ministry of the Interior to travel to the site and personally assist the families.
In a message on X Sunday, Oaxaca state Gov. Salomon Jara said several government agencies had reached the site of the accident to assist the injured.
Officials said that 241 passengers and nine crew members were on the train when the accident occurred.
The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 by then President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The rail service is part of a broader push to boost train travel in southern Mexico, and develop infrastructure along the isthmus of Tehuantepec, a narrow stretch of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Mexican government plans to turn the isthmus into a strategic corridor for international trade, with ports and rail lines that can connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Interoceanic train currently runs from the port of Salina Cruz on the Pacific Ocean to Coatzacoalcos, covering a distance of approximately 180 miles (290 kilometers) .
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
When New York-based model and influencer Wisdom Kaye went shopping at the Italian fashion label Miu Miu and returned home with a haul of clothes he says he spent $18,000 on, he didn't expect some of the items would fall apart in front of his eyes.
In now-viral videos posted to his TikTok account, where he counts over 13 million followers, Kaye can be seen unveiling his purchases from the brand. In the first clip, posted to the social media platform in early September, he calls himself a “big Miu Miu fan” before launching into a scathing blow-by-blow of how some of his new purchases fell apart as he was unpacking them, saying: “As soon as I get home, everything broke.”
Among the garments he had purchased that day, one of the gold buttons on a denim vest jacket “came off the instant I opened it,” he said on the video, demonstrating how he had unbuttoned the sleeveless garment. “I just opened it normally,” said Kaye.
He then held up a brown sweater, also by Miu Miu, with a visibly broken silver zip. Kaye said he had “never gone and gotten multiple pieces from a place and things are just breaking as soon as I get home. This is genuinely f**king abysmal.”
Three days later, Kaye popped up on TikTok feeds again. Miu Miu had offered him the choice of a refund or replacement of the broken items, he explained in the new video, noting that he chose the latter and wanted to unveil the new garments to his fans. However, as he began to undo the buttons of his vest, a button fell off once again. His mouth was wide in disbelief before exclaiming: “There's no way! This is unbelievable.”
Kaye is not the only one taking their concerns to social media. In October, US-based dental hygienist Tiffany Kim shared a video on Instagram of a gray fleece jacket by Miu Miu and indicated that a drawstring had popped out of one of its sleeves. Some onlookers might immediately assume that it was natural wear-and-tear, but Kim said that she had only purchased it a month prior. While Miu Miu offers a repair service for its products, some store locations require customers to pay a fee. “It's not even about the fee. I can pay the fee,” said Kim. “I don't want to pay the fee because I literally paid $2,000 for this jacket and I only wore it twice.”
Elsewhere, on X, a video posted by Elena Qiu in November shows the Seattle-based designer attempting to squeeze various objects into the heel of her leather split-toe tabi boots, to demonstrate its surprisingly hollow interior. The shoe, by Maison Margiela, is one of the French avant-garde label's most recognizable styles. In the caption, Qiu said she had purchased the shoes for $1,000 and expressed disappointment that the heel wasn't made of “stacked leather” but “hollow with plastic.”
“I felt so sad and disappointed when the shoe cap came off,” Qiu later told CNN over email. “As a fashion designer myself, I understand how laborious artisanal craft is, and I don't expect fashion to stay pristine after excessive wear, but these shoes were not worn excessively. I had worn them less than once a month, mostly for special occasions.” Asked what she ended up doing with the shoes, Qiu said she took them to a cobbler to get the heel cap replaced, but has since become more cautious about wearing them regularly and creating further damage — “which defeats the purpose of why I bought them in the first place,” she said.
These widely circulated videos have since sparked outrage among social media users, with some questioning the value of high-end goods, especially as prices have been rising exponentially over time. Others criticized the luxury industry for what they see as focusing too heavily on branding and trends, and not enough on durability. “As fashion consumers we need to put our foot down and stop buying Miu Miu until they learn how to produce clothing that doesn't fall apart,” wrote Odunayo Ojo, the content creator better known as Fashion Roadman, as he reshared Kim's video. “Because it's expensive doesn't make it luxury if the quality is not there!” commented another user in response.
Asked whether the Prada Group, which owns Miu Miu, is aware of these videos, and what it is doing to prevent future issues with product quality, the company told CNN that “These were two isolated incidents and they are not indicative of quality issues for the brand. We handled the two cases via client service, with care, as we normally do with all our clients.” The group added that “Miu Miu's global post-purchase return rate ranges between 0.2% and 0.3%, making it one of the lowest in the luxury market.”
Maison Margiela did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
The recent incidents may coincide with a broader issue in luxury fashion, where some experts believe high prices no longer guarantee a certain level of craftsmanship. They have also prompted some comparisons with high street and fast fashion brands, which are often associated with trend-driven pieces that are not always built to last. Dana Thomas, an author and veteran journalist, who spent over three decades covering the luxury fashion sector for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, noted similar quality issues with luxury brands back in the 2000s when her book “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster” was published, suggesting a longstanding problem in the sector.
Luxury brands are more expensive than ever. They're telling you why they're worth it
Speaking on the phone from her Paris apartment, Thomas recalled past trips to Milan that would result in a shopping spree at well-known luxury Italian brands. “For my meager budget of 1,000 euros (about $1,176) I could get some pants, a couple of sweaters, a pair of shoes, maybe even a handbag. It went a long way.” But then, she noticed, “One season to the next, the quality was dropping. What used to be a knitted one-piece were now pieces sewn together. The buttons fell off easily. The color was washing out.”
Thomas continued: “I thought, what's going on here? Prices were going up pretty regularly. As a reporter, I was writing stories about how these companies were booming.” She saw sales growing minimally for brands, yet their profits were significant. “I'm terrible at math but there was an extreme difference between the two. Meanwhile, as a consumer, I could see that the quality was going down,” she said. Her suspicions that some brands were “totally focused on the bottom line” and that “they were switching their focus from beautiful products to beautiful profits” thus became the impetus for her book.
Volkan Yilmaz, a leather specialist operating under the online pseudonym Tanner Leatherstein, shares a similar view. Based in Dallas, Texas, Yilmaz has amassed 1.3 million followers on TikTok, over 780,000 on Instagram and another half a million on YouTube for ripping apart and deconstructing bags and other leather goods from luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton and Chanel, with the view to answer a simple question: “Is it worth it?”
On a video call, he acknowledged that the rise of social media platforms has made it easier for customers to share their opinions, and therefore, videos expressing disappointment with luxury purchases may seem much more frequent than in years' past, but he believes that there has also genuinely been a shift towards lesser quality products.
Yilmaz didn't name specific high-end brands but said that on dissecting bags that had recently been produced, he felt that older styles – and the techniques used to make them – were comparatively “more sophisticated,” the materials “more artisanal.” However, “they are harder to do and are not that quick to make in large quantities,” he said — which may not align with the needs of big companies, several of which have resorted to mass production-like methods to keep up with high consumer demand.
While some production still happens in traditional luxury hubs like Italy, the final assembly or component creation of a product often occurs elsewhere, as many high-end brands outsource manufacturing to third-party factories in low-cost regions.
In 2024 and 2025, a series of investigations by Italian prosecutors exposed systemic labor exploitation within the supply chains of several luxury brands. These probes revealed that brands frequently outsourced production to a network of subcontractors — many Chinese-owned — who utilized undocumented labor in sweatshop-like conditions to maximize profit margins. Yilmaz added that the luxury sector's exorbitant price hikes — as brands seek to navigate a global market slowdown and rising production costs — has only exacerbated the problem. He caveated: “This is not to say that everything being made is garbage, but unfortunately, increasing prices doesn't mean an increase in quality.”
For Thomas, the cost-cutting is apparent. “I remember when brands stopped lining pants. And they were doing that because they were cutting costs and lining costs money.”
She pointed to garments with raw edges as another example, recounting a conversation with Alber Elbaz, the late designer who revitalized the French house Lanvin and founded the AZ Factory label, which he ran with the Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont for just over three years until its closure in May 2024. “He told me that it's cheaper to just cut a hem and leave it raw, than to fold it and press it over and over again,” she said. You're taking four or five steps out of the process. So, it wasn't just a style trend, but an economic one.”
In some cases, high-end brands also share the same manufacturing facilities as those on the high street. On writing “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster,” Thomas recounted visiting a factory “with the same workers, on the same assembly line” making bags for both luxury and mall brands. “But those bags probably cost $10 or $12 and were being sold by mall brands for $100, while the luxury brand was selling it for $1,200.” The primary difference, she noted, was the materials being used.
But now, even luxury brands are seeking to reduce costs when it comes to materials. “The finishes that are being used are more commercial,” said Diana Kakkar, the co-founder of MAES London, a premium garment supplier. “Brands get away with saying something is a wool jacket, but it's actually 30% wool and 70% polyester or acrylic.”
In the case of Maison Margiela, the brand is not alone in using plastic inside its shoe heels — this has become widespread industry practice, according to Caroline Groves, a UK-based bespoke shoemaker. “Most traditional shoes are made of heavy leather, which is cut and layered on top of one another. From the 17th century onwards, people began using wood inside a heel and then fold leather or silk over it,” she said on a call from her workshop in the Cotswolds, England. “Plastic overtook wood at some stage, because people could just churn out hundreds and thousands at a time, very cheaply.” However, she noted that “it is legitimate and gives a strong interior to a heel that is then covered.”
Kakkar said that throughout 2025 she has had several conversations with brands about cost-saving, including a reduction in fabric quality. “They'll come to us saying, for example, ‘We want to sell this camisole for £250 (about $335) and we ideally want silk.' But the cost of 100% silk with beautiful finishing can be quite staggering, because it is almost £50-£60 a meter now, if not more. So, they'll ask if we can do viscose, which is like, maybe, £25. It can be even cheaper, £10, depending on the various qualities. And then, even if those margins are not hitting them, we start looking at viscose polyester blend.
“You can see how this slippery slope starts,” she said. “If there's a cheaper option, people will probably go for the cheaper option.”
For Yilmaz, the cycle of constant, often frantic, creation and consumption across the luxury sector (in the form of new collections, endless content and bigger sales) marks a shift away from historical practices of scarcity and craftmanship. He takes a cynical view, noting that a growing number of luxury products “fall apart quicker… because you need people to keep consuming. Every quarter, these corporations need to report better sales. How is that going to happen if everything lasts forever?”
It's in part why the French luxury goods maker Hermès is often cited as a preeminent example of luxury and consistently ranks as one of the most exclusive brands in the world. Earlier this year, it even overtook LVMH as the world's most valuable luxury company for the first time (however, the stock has since stabilized and LVMH reclaimed its top spot in late 2025).
When Hermès listed on the stock market in 1993, the founding family maintained a substantial majority ownership, listing only a small proportion of shares. “It's sort-of to keep them responsible and make them answer to shareholders, but they still maintain control of the company. They answer to themselves first,” said Thomas. Subsequently, the company was able to emphasize craftsmanship and scarcity, and stick to a highly selective business model that has remained largely unchanged for nearly two centuries.
Companies that are 100% publicly traded, for Thomas, “feel like an oxymoron.” She explained: “If your entire raison d'etre is to bring profits to shareholders, you are no longer in the business of making luxury; you're just in the business of making money.”
Others agree that the industry needs to be recalibrated. When John Galliano, the former creative director of Maison Margiela, contacted Groves in 2023 to collaborate on footwear that would be shown at the brand's haute couture show in Paris a year later, it ended in “a sad but mutual acknowledgement that we could not reconcile the two worlds of fashion and craft,” Groves recalled. “He would require around 70 pairs made within a very short time frame (6-8 weeks at most). My annual production is around 40 pairs.”
Groves, who has been in business for 40 years, shared that there have been several occasions in which she considered developing footwear for retail. “But each time I've gone down that route, I've realized that I can't be true to myself as a craftsman, because the price point of getting it to market means that the practices and the materials used in the factory are just not going to be what I want to put my name to,” she said. But not all brand founders share this sentiment, and Groves fears that shoppers “who can afford luxury are getting further and further away from the real deal and are therefore losing appreciation of what that really is.”
However, increasing scrutiny — and in some cases, distrust — of luxury brands has also created new opportunities. According to McKinsey & Company's 2026 “State of Fashion” report with the Business of Fashion, the mid-market is “the fastest growing segment,” and through attractive price points that correspond with high product quality and elevated store experiences, brands in that range are “replacing luxury as fashion's main value creator.” (Indeed, see the success of contemporary labels like Polene, Toteme or Studio Nicholson.)
The online backlash, Yilmaz believes, serves as “a wake-up call” for the industry. “You can only say so much to convince people that luxury is high quality. If your products are falling apart in front of them, then it's not believable, no matter how much you spend on marketing,” he said. “So many new brands are entering the space to address this issue, and their products don't cost thousands of dollars. I think, in the end, it's a great time to be a customer. The quality has to start delivering again,” he noted – otherwise, why shop at all?
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New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference, in the Queens borough of New York, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa, File)
Zohran Mamdani has promised to transform New York City government when he becomes mayor. Can he do it?
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, already faces intense scrutiny, even before taking office in one of the country's most scrutinized political jobs. Republicans have cast him as a liberal boogeyman. Some of his fellow Democrats have deemed him too far left. Progressives are closely watching for any signs of him shifting toward the center.
On Jan. 1, he will assume control of America's biggest city under that harsh spotlight, with the country watching to see if he can pull off the big promises that vaulted him to office and handle the everyday duties of the job. All while skeptics call out his every stumble.
For Mamdani, starting off strong is key, said George Arzt, a veteran Democratic political consultant in New York who worked for former Mayor Ed Koch.
“He's got to use the first 100 days of the administration to show people he can govern,” he said. “You've got to set a mindset for people that's like, ‘Hey, this guy's serious.'”
That push should begin with Mamdani's first speech as mayor, where Arzt said it will be important for the city's new leader to establish a clear blueprint of his agenda and tell New Yorkers what he plans to do and how he plans to do it.
Mamdani will be sworn-in around midnight during a private ceremony at a historic, out-of-use City Hall subway station. Then in the afternoon, he will be sworn-in a second time on the steps of City Hall, while his supporters are expected to crowd surrounding streets for an accompanying block party.
From there, Arzt said Mamdani will have to count on the seasoned hands he's hired to help him handle the concrete responsibilities of the job, while he and his team also pursue his ambitious affordability agenda.
Mamdani campaigned on a big idea: shifting the power of government toward helping working class New Yorkers, rather than the wealthy.
His platform — which includes free child care, free city bus service and a rent freeze for people living in rent stabilized apartments — excited voters in one of America's most expensive cities and made him a leading face of a Democratic Party searching for bright, new leaders during President Donald Trump's second term.
But Mamdani may find himself contending with the relentless responsibilities of running New York City. That includes making sure the trash is getting picked up, potholes are filled and snow plows go out on time. When there's a subway delay or flooding, or a high-profile crime or a police officer parks in a bicycle lane, it's not unusual for the city's mayor to catch some heat.
“He had a movement candidacy and that immediately raises expectations locally and nationally,” said Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and Columbia University professor, who added that it might be good for Mamdani to “Just focus on managing expectations and get a couple of good wins under your belt early on.”
“There's a lot to keep you busy here,” he said.
A large part of Mamdani's job will also be to sell his politics to the New Yorkers who remain skeptical of him, with Smikle saying “the biggest hurdle” is getting people comfortable with his policies and explaining how what he's pushing could help the city.
“It's difficult to have this all happen on day one,” he said, “or even day 30 or even day 100.”
Mamdani's universal free child care proposal — perhaps one of his more expensive plans — is also one that has attracted some of the strongest support from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate from Buffalo who endorsed the mayor-elect.
Hochul is eager to work with Mamdani on the policy and both leaders consider the program a top priority, although it's not yet clear how exactly the plan could come to fruition. The governor, who is up for reelection next year, has repeatedly said she does not want to raise income taxes — something Mamdani supports for wealthy New Yorkers — however she has appeared open to raising corporate taxes.
“I think he has allies and supporters for his agenda, but the question is how far will the governor go,” said state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Mamdani ally.
“There's an acknowledgement that the voters have spoken, and there's very clear policies that were associated with his successful campaign,” he said, “so to not make progress on them would be us thumbing our noses at the voters.”
Mamdani's pledge to freeze the rent for roughly 1 million rent stabilized apartments in the city would not require state cooperation.
But that proposal — perhaps the best known of his campaign — is already facing headwinds, after the city's departing mayor, Eric Adams, made a series of appointments in recent weeks to a local board that determines annual rent increases for the city's rent stabilized units.
The move could potentially complicate the mayor-elect's ability to follow through on the plan, at least in his first year, although Mamdani has said he remains confident in his ability to enact the freeze.
His relationship with some of the city's Jewish community remains in tatters over his criticisms of Israel's government and support for Palestinian human rights.
The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish advocacy organization, plans to track Mamdani's policies and hires as it pledged to “protect Jewish residents across the five boroughs during a period of unprecedented antisemitism in New York City.”
Earlier this month, a Mamdani appointee resigned over social media posts she made more than a decade ago that featured antisemitic tropes, after the Anti-Defamation League shared the posts online.
The group has since put out additional findings on others who are serving in committees that Mamdani set up as he transitions into his mayoral role. In response, Mamdani said the ADL often “ignores the distinction” between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government.
The mayor-elect's past call to defund the city's police department continue to be a vulnerability. His decision to retain Jessica Tisch, the city's current police commissioner, has eased some concerns about a radical shakeup at the top of the nation's largest police force.
And then there's Trump.
Tensions between Trump and Mamdani have appeared to cool — for now — after months of rancor led into a surprisingly friendly Oval Office meeting. Future clashes may emerge given the sharp political differences between them, particularly on immigration enforcement, along with anything else that could set off the mercurial president.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced that he is surging federal agents and “investigative resources” to Minnesota as a fraud scandal mostly involving Somali immigrants continues to grip the state.
In a update on Sunday, Patel said the bureau's investigation will look to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs,” some of which have already been uncovered.
Patel pointed to numerous indictments and convictions handed down last month against individuals involved with Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota-based organization that stole $250 million worth of federal funds meant for vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Department of Justice, the money was not used for children's meals but instead to fund the organization's leaders' “lavish lifestyles.” Some funds were also reportedly funneled to the Somali-based al Shabaab terrorist group.
Patel said that scheme is “just the tip of a very large iceberg,” vowing to “continue to follow the money and protect children.”
“Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide,” he added.
Other alleged fraud schemes have since been uncovered, including by independent journalist Nick Shirley.
In a video that has been widely shared, including by lawmakers, Shirley is repeatedly stonewalled by workers at multiple supposed Minnesota daycare centers, which reportedly have no enrolled children.
The reporting caught the eye of Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), who blasted Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) for allegedly turning a blind eye to the fraud.
“Tim Walz sat idly by while billions were stolen from hardworking Minnesotans. What Walz refused to address for SEVEN YEARS, Nick Shirley uncovered in ONE DAY. The fraud in Minnesota is so brazen and so vast that it's IMPOSSIBLE Walz's administration didn't know about it,” he posted on X over the weekend.
Walz has been pushing back on such accusations, saying he would instead “welcome more” Somali immigrants into Minnesota amid the fraud scandal. His office said on Sunday that Walz has “worked for years to crack down on fraud” and has since “strengthened oversight” of these organizations.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT WANTS ANSWERS ON MINNESOTA SOMALI FRAUD SCHEME
Scrutiny has also turned to another Minnesota Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), after reporting revealed her husband's venture capital firm, Rose Lake Capital, removed the names of its top officers amid questions about the couple's finances and the separate Minnesota fraud scandal. None of those officers were charged with fraud, and Omar, who is Somali American, has denied any personal connection to the separate scandal.
But questions have been raised about her most recent financial disclosure from May, which shows her net worth jumped a staggering 3500% from the previous year to some $30 million. Most of that valuation is tied up in Rose Lake Capital assets.
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Fox News' CB Cotton and former assistant U.S. attorney for D.C. Cully Stimson join 'Fox News Live' to discuss the arrest of Brian Cole Jr., a ruling allowing the National Guard to remain in D.C. and the probe into the Minnesota fraud scandal.
Federal prosecutors said Sunday the man accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, told investigators he felt compelled to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen and said he targeted the two major political parties because they were in charge of the political system.
Prosecutors detailed the allegations in a memo filed with the Justice Department, arguing that Brian J. Cole Jr., arrested earlier this month, should remain detained as the case moves forward.
Cole was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, after investigators identified him as the suspect accused of placing pipe bombs near the Capitol complex and outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters, marking the first major break in a case that had gone cold for years.
Sunday's memo provides the most detailed government account to date, including statements prosecutors say Cole made to investigators. It also cites evidence such as bomb-making materials recovered from his home after his arrest, which officials say link him to the crime.
EVIDENCE AGAINST J6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT WAS JUST ‘SITTING THERE' FOR YEARS, DOJ SAYS
Brian J. Cole Jr., the D.C. pipe bomb suspect, made his first court appearance on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Dana Verkouteren)
Undetonated homemade bombs were discovered Jan. 6, though prosecutors said Cole denied his actions were connected to the events at the Capitol that day.
Although he initially denied involvement, prosecutors allege Cole later confessed to placing the devices outside the RNC and DNC.
Cole also allegedly said he was disillusioned by the election outcome and sympathetic to claims by President Donald Trump and some allies that it had been stolen.
FBI RELEASES NEW SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF SUSPECT WHO PLACED PIPE BOMBS NEAR DNC, RNC OFFICES IN DC
The Department of Justice releases new photos of Brian J. Cole, who was arrested by the FBI for alleged involvement in the D.C. pipe bomb incident. (Department of Justice)
"In the defendant's view, if people ‘feel that, you know, something as important as voting in the federal election is being tampered with, is being, you know, being – you know, relegated null and void, then, like, someone needs to speak up, right? Someone up top. You know, just to, just to at the very least calm things down,'" prosecutors wrote.
They added that when agents returned to ask questions about his motive, Cole explained that "something just snapped" after "watching everything, just everything getting worse."
The suspect is seen walking outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters moments before placing one of two pipe bombs discovered near party offices in Washington, D.C. (FBI)
"The defendant wanted to do something ‘to the parties' because ‘they were in charge,'" prosecutors wrote. "When asked why he placed the devices at the RNC and DNC, the defendant responded, ‘I really don't like either party at this point.'"
Prosecutors said Cole also told investigators the idea to use pipe bombs stemmed from his interest in the historical conflict in Northern Ireland.
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Cole's attorneys are expected to argue against his detention at a hearing scheduled for Tuesday in federal court in Washington.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
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The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington, DC, on the eve of the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen and that he wanted to target the country's political parties because they were “in charge,” prosecutors said Sunday.
The allegations were laid out in a Justice Department memo arguing that Brian J. Cole Jr., who was arrested earlier this month on charges of placing pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national committees, should remain locked up while the case moves forward.
The memo provides the most detailed government account of statements Cole is alleged to have made to investigators and points to evidence, including bomb-making components found at his home after his arrest, that officials say connects him to the act. The homemade bombs did not detonate and were discovered January 6, the afternoon that rioters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an effort to halt the certification of his election loss to Joe Biden.
Cole, 30, denied to investigators that his actions were connected to Congress or the events of January 6, the memo says. But after initially disputing that he had any involvement in the pipe bombs, prosecutors say, he confessed to placing them outside the RNC and DNC. He acknowledged feeling disillusioned by the 2020 election, fed up with both political parties, and sympathetic to claims by Trump and some of his allies that the contest had been stolen.
According to the memo, he told agents who interviewed him that if people “feel that, you know, something as important as voting in the federal election is being tampered with, is being, you know, being — you know, relegated null and void, then, like, someone needs to speak up, right? Someone up top. You know, just to, just to at the very least calm things down.”
He said “something just snapped” after “watching everything, just everything getting worse” and that he wanted to do something “to the parties” because “they were in charge,” according to the Justice Department's memo. Prosecutors say when Cole was asked why he had placed the explosives at the RNC and DNC, he responded, “I really don't like either party at this point.”
Cole was arrested on the morning of December 4 at his Woodbridge, Virginia, house in what law enforcement officials described as a major breakthrough in their nearly five-year investigation.
During a search of Cole's home and car after his arrest, prosecutors say, investigators found shopping bags of bomb-making components. He at first denied having manufactured or placed the pipe bombs, prosecutors say, and when pressed about his whereabouts on the evening of January 5, 2021, initially told investigators he had driven by himself to attend a protest related to the 2020 election.
“I didn't agree with what people were doing, like just telling half the country that they — that their — that they just need to ignore it. I didn't think that was a good idea, so I went to the protest,” the memo quotes him as saying.
But over the course of hours of questioning, prosecutors say, Cole acknowledged he went to Washington not for a protest but rather to place the bombs. He stowed the explosives in a shoebox in the back seat of his Nissan Sentra and placed one apiece outside the RNC and DNC headquarters, setting the timer on each for 60 minutes, the memo says.
Neither device exploded, a fact Cole says he was “pretty relieved” about; he planted them at night because he did not want to kill anyone, the memo says.
The fact that the devices did not detonate is due to luck, “not lack of effort,” prosecutors said in arguing that Cole poses a danger to the community and must remain detained pending trial.
“The defendant's choice of targets risked the lives not only of innocent pedestrians and office workers but also of law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders who were inside of the respective party headquarters or drove by them on January 6, 2021, including the Vice President-elect and Speaker of the House,” prosecutors wrote.
Cole's lawyers will have an opportunity to state their position on detention ahead of a hearing set for Tuesday in Washington's federal court.
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Clashes broke out on Syria's coast between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterdemonstrators on Sunday, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others, health officials said. (AP video shot by Omar Albam)
A police officer injured by a thrown stone is helped away from the area after clashes erupted between Alawite protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterprotesters, two days after a bomb in an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 during Friday prayers, in Latakia, Syria's coastal region, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Protesters from the Alawite religious minority demonstrate two days after a bomb in an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 during Friday prayers, in Latakia, Syria's coastal region, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A man seriously injured by a thrown stone is taken away from the area after clashes erupted between Alawite protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterprotesters, two days after a bomb in an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 during Friday prayers, in Latakia, Syria's coastal region, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Protesters from the Alawite religious minority demonstrate two days after a bomb in an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 during Friday prayers, in Latakia, Syria's coastal region, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A man injured during clashes between Alawite protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterprotesters lies in a hospital bed, two days after a bomb in an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 during Friday prayers, in Latakia, Syria's coastal region, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
LATAKIA, Syria (AP) — Clashes broke out on Syria's coast between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterdemonstrators Sunday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others, health officials said.
The clashes came two days after a bombing at an Alawite mosque in the city of Homs killed eight people and wounded 18 others during prayers. Thousands of protesters gathered in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, and elsewhere.
Officials have said that preliminary investigations indicate that explosive devices were planted inside the mosque in Homs, but authorities haven't publicly identified a suspect in Friday's bombing. Funerals for the dead were held Saturday.
A little-known group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its Telegram channel, in which it indicated that the attack intended to target members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam whom hard-line Islamists consider to be apostates.
Sunday's demonstrations were called for by Ghazal Ghazal, an Alawite sheikh living outside of Syria who heads a group called the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the Diaspora.
An Associated Press photographer in Latakia saw pro-government counterprotesters throw rocks at the Alawite demonstrators, while a group of protesters beat a counterdemonstrator who crossed to their side. Security forces tried to break up the two sides and fired into the air in an attempt to disperse them.
Syria's state-run television reported that two members of the security forces were wounded in the area of Tartous after someone threw a hand grenade at a police station, and cars belonging to security forces were set on fire in Latakia.
Later, state-run news agency SANA reported that a member of the security forces was killed by gunfire.
The AP photographer in Latakia saw the bodies of four people killed in the clashes in local hospitals. Three of them had head wounds that appeared consistent with being hit by rocks, while one had a bullet wound in the chest.
The state-run SANA news agency said 60 people were wounded by “stabbings, blows from stones, and gunfire targeting both security personnel and civilians.”
The country has experienced several waves of sectarian clashes since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 that brought to an end nearly 14 years of civil war. Assad, an Alawite, fled the country to Russia.
In March, an ambush carried out by Assad's supporters against security forces triggered days of violence that left hundreds of people dead, most of them Alawites. Since then, although the situation has calmed, Alawites have been targeted sporadically in sectarian attacks. They have also complained of discrimination against them in public employment since Assad's fall and of young Alawite men detained without charges.
During the rein of the Assad dynasty, Alawites were overrepresented in government jobs and in the army and security forces.
Government officials condemned Friday's attack and promised to hold perpetrators accountable, but haven't yet announced any arrests.
“We went out to protest the incidents of killing and the marginalization and arrests and detentions and the employees who were fired,” said Hussein Abbas, an engineer who joined the Alawite protest.
Counterprotester Mohammed Ismail from Latakia blamed spoilers who benefited from the former system under Assad for sowing discord.
“We are calling for one Syria and one people, and they don't want that,” he said. “They want to return us to chaos so they can benefit.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged the negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging on for years.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he believes both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin truly want peace, as he welcomed the “brave” Ukrainian leader for talks at his Florida resort.
President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands at the start of a joint news conference following a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint news conference with President Donald Trump following a meeting his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump attends a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump greets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump greets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged the negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging on for years.
The president's statements came after the leaders met for talks following what Trump said was an “excellent,” two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine launched the war nearly four years ago. Trump insisted he believed Putin still wants peace, even as Russia launched another round of attacks on Ukraine while Zelenskyy flew to the United States for the latest round of negotiations.
“Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed,” Trump said during a late afternoon news conference as he stood with Zelenskyy after their meeting. He repeatedly praised his counterpart as “brave.”
Trump and Zelenskyy both acknowledged thorny issues remain, including whether Russia can keep Ukrainian territory it controls, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure it's not invaded again in the future. After their discussion, they called a wide group of European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and the leaders of Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland.
Zelenskyy said Trump had agreed to host European leaders again, possibly at the White House, sometime in January. Trump said the meeting could be in Washington or “someplace.”
Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his work. “Ukraine is ready for peace,” he said.
Trump said he'd follow the meeting with another call to Putin. Earlier Sunday, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the Trump-Putin call was initiated by the U.S. side and was “friendly, benevolent and businesslike.” Ushakov said Trump and Putin agreed to speak again “promptly” after Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy.
But Ushakov added that a “bold, responsible, political decision is needed from Kyiv” on the fiercely contested Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and other matters in dispute for there to be a “complete cessation” of hostilities.
Both leaders identified deciding the future of the Donbas region as a major sticking point.
Trump said the parties were inching closer to agreement. “That's a very tough issue but one that I think will get resolved,” he said.
Zelenskyy said: “Our attitude is very clear. That's why President Trump said this is a very tough question and, of course, we have with Russia different positions on it.”
Trump said, however, that he still believes Putin is “very serious” about ending the war, even as Russia continued striking targets in Ukraine as Zelenskyy traveled to the U.S. Trump said, “I believe Ukraine has made some very strong attacks also.”
He held out the possibility that negotiations could still fall apart.
“In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other, I think,” Trump said. “We could have something where one item that you're not thinking about is a big item, breaks it up. Look, it's been a very difficult negotiation. Very detailed.”
Trump and Zelenskyy's sit-down underscored the apparent progress made by Trump's top negotiators in recent weeks as the sides traded draft peace plans to end the fighting. Zelenskyy told reporters Friday that the 20-point draft proposal negotiators have discussed is “about 90% ready” — echoing a figure, and the optimism, that U.S. officials conveyed when Trump's chief negotiators met with Zelenskyy in Berlin this month.
During the recent talks, the U.S. agreed to offer certain security guarantees to Ukraine similar to those offered to other members of NATO. The proposal came as Zelenskyy said he was prepared to drop his country's bid to join the security alliance if Ukraine received NATO-like protection that would be designed to safeguard it against future Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy also spoke on Christmas Day with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. The Ukrainian leader said they discussed “certain substantive details” and cautioned “there is still work to be done on sensitive issues” and “the weeks ahead may also be intensive.”
The U.S. president has been working to end the war in Ukraine for much of his first year back in office, showing irritation with both Zelenskyy and Putin while publicly acknowledging the difficulty of ending the conflict. Gone are the days when, as a candidate in 2024, he boasted that he could resolve the fighting in a day. Indeed, on Sunday, Trump referred multiple times to the complexity of the negotiations.
After hosting Zelenskyy at the White House in October, Trump demanded that both Russia and Ukraine halt fighting and “stop at the battle line,” implying that Moscow should be able to keep the territory it has seized from Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said last week that he would be willing to withdraw troops from Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end the war, if Russia also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.
Putin has publicly said he wants all the areas in four key regions that have been captured by his forces, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognized as Russian territory. He also has insisted that Ukraine withdraw from some areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscow's forces haven't captured. Kyiv has publicly rejected all those demands.
The Kremlin also wants Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO. It warned that it wouldn't accept the deployment of any troops from members of the military alliance and would view them as a “legitimate target.”
Putin also has said Ukraine must limit the size of its army and give official status to the Russian language, demands he has made from the outset of the conflict.
Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant this month that Russian police and national guard would stay in parts of Donetsk -– one of the two major areas, along with Luhansk, that make up the Donbas region — even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan.
Ushakov cautioned that trying to reach a compromise could take a long time. He said U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.
Trump has been somewhat receptive to Putin's demands, arguing that the Russian president can be persuaded to end the war if Kyiv agrees to cede Ukrainian land in the Donbas region and if Western powers offer economic incentives to bring Russia back into the global economy.
___
Kim reported from Washington and Morton from London. Associated Press writers Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Related Stories
As middle management jobs shrink, workplace experts say executives may be underestimating just how crucial these roles are to their companies — especially in the age of AI.
The ranks of middle managers, the professionals that bridge senior leaders with frontline employees, have been thinning in recent years. Middle managers made up one-third of all layoffs in 2023, a Bloomberg and Live Data Technologies analysis found. This year, 41% of employees say their companies trimmed down their management layers, according to organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry's Workforce 2025: Power Shifts report, which surveyed 15,000 professionals worldwide.
The trend is expected to continue into 2026: One in five (20%) businesses are expected to use AI to flatten their organizational structure, slashing over half of current middle management positions, an October 2024 report from research and advisory firm Gartner found.
The layoffs span from major public companies like Amazon and Google to smaller businesses in the U.S., particularly in industries like tech and retail. Some of these companies say they're rectifying pandemic-era over-hiring. Others say they've laid off middle managers as they seek faster, more efficient workflows, and still others cite downsizing due to economic pressures, according to a recent Harris Poll survey on behalf of staffing agency Express Employment Professionals. And while the timing may be coincidental, the tightening comes as some CEOs mandate using artificial intelligence to accomplish work tasks before requesting more headcount.
While there can be some upsides to trimming layers of ineffective management, leadership and management experts warn against cutting too deep. They say these positions are a necessary puzzle piece for a successful workplace.
"Middle managers are more important than ever," says Deborah Lovich, a C-suite advisor and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group who has counseled leaders on how to improve the employee experience for over 30 years.
In today's rapidly changing and uncertain economy where employees are experiencing increased burnout and dissatisfaction and lower confidence, Lovich says middle managers are the ones who can give them the motivation and reassurance they need to be productive.
Amid higher inflation, tariffs and economic concerns, many companies are tightening their belts. Middle managers, who typically have higher salaries, can often be the first target in leaner times.
To be sure, there can be benefits to thinning out excessive layers of hierarchy.
Cutting back on middle managers can help businesses reduce costs, encourage more collaboration between frontline employees and senior executives, and increase a company's overall speed and efficiency, according to a 2020 report from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
That doesn't mean middle management roles should be eliminated altogether or indiscriminately, says Megg Withinton, vice president of enterprise analytics at HR solutions company Insperity. Instead, she says, these professionals should be better equipped to do their jobs.
A competent middle manager builds motivation and productivity for their team and plays a significant role in company culture, says Lovich.
In contrast, ineffective middle managers — whether due to inexperience, poor job fit, vague guidance from their own bosses or another reason — can weaken performance and morale. Only 51% of newer managers with less than three years of experience feel completely prepared to lead others, according to Insperity's data. And only 20% of employees say their managers exceed their expectations, according to a recent Insperity survey of 1,000 U.S. executives, managers and frontline employees.
One potential solution, suggests Withinton: Companies could invest in management training and upskilling, rather than using layoffs as a short-term fix. Upskilling isn't free, of course. But spending about $1,000 per employee to train and develop your talent may have better long-term outcomes, Withinton says, considering turnover costs and lost employee trust and morale — especially for companies that eventually rehire after layoffs anyway.
Besides, effective management is about more than money, says Withinton. Some workers find that their work is more difficult when their immediate manager is cut. In Korn Ferry's report, 37% of survey respondents said that not having that middle management role left them feeling directionless.
"I would really encourage people to think about managers not as an expense or an administrative or bureaucratic layer, but an agent for change," she says. As organizations rethink their strategies and workflow to be more AI-forward, managers can help guide their teams to use the technology effectively, instead of fear it. "[Especially] in a time where things are changing week to week, and we're all just going to be scrambling to keep up for a while as this new [AI-driven] world unfolds."
Managers provide the most value when they're keeping their teams accountable and helping workers feel motivated and supported, says Lovich — not necessarily when they're handling administrative tasks like coordinating meetings or tracking employees.
The emotional element of management is particularly important in the age of AI, she notes. The tech can and should be used to augment managers' abilities to complete administrative tasks, but can't authentically congratulate an employee on a job well done or notice that they're a little down and not themselves on a given day, Lovich says.
Manager training should emphasize skills like fostering interpersonal relationships, effective communication, decision making and accountability, conflict resolution and building trust within teams, according to Insperity performance consultant Chris Brennan.
Organizations that use their managers to their full potential reap significant benefits, Insperity's survey found: Their employees are five times more likely to report a healthy workplace culture and four times more likely to understand and align with company goals. What's more, companies with high-performing managers tend to yield higher shareholder returns than their counterparts, according to a June 2023 report from McKinsey and Company.
Those advantages will be especially important as organizations start to integrate artificial intelligence into their workflows, Withinton says.
"Before we all leap to 'AI is going to make the role of manager either obsolete or much more reduced,' you actually have to deploy AI and make it work for your company," Withinton says. "And the managers are the people who are going to be able to really make sure that it's being used in the appropriate way day to day. There is no other way around that."
Still, a looming question remains: By helping facilitate the transition to AI, are today's managers positioning themselves to be increasingly obsolete tomorrow? Time will tell.
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SoftBank said it will acquire digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge for about $4 billion.
The Japanese conglomerate said it is doubling down on building the data centers, connectivity, and power needed to support AI at a global scale.
"As AI transforms industries worldwide, we need more compute, connectivity, power, and scalable infrastructure," said Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group.
The deal underscores SoftBank's push to control more of the physical infrastructure behind AI as competition for computing resources intensifies.
DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform following the deal, led by CEO Marc Ganzi.
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
The acquisition also comes as SoftBank reshapes its bets on AI.
The company disclosed in November that it had sold nearly $6 billion worth of Nvidia stock. At the time, the company's CFO, Yoshimitsu Goto, said its decision to divest had "nothing to do with Nvidia itself" but was a way to reallocate its funds toward OpenAI.
Goto said it plans to make the final part of its $30 billion investment in OpenAI by the end of the year.
The DigitalBridge deal also aligns with SoftBank's growing focus on what it calls "physical AI," as the company ramps up investments in the real-world infrastructure — from data centers to robotics — needed to integrate AI into everyday life.
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Lululemon Athletica's founder Chip Wilson said on Monday he had launched a proxy fight by nominating three independent directors to the company's board, just over two weeks after the apparel maker announced the exit of CEO Calvin McDonald without a clear successor.
Lululemon shares have shed nearly half their value this year as the company struggles to find its footing with younger and affluent shoppers, while battling stiff competition from fast-growing newer rivals such as Alo Yoga and Vuori, as well as pressure from activist investor Elliott Management.
Wilson has nominated three director candidates to Lululemon's board, including former On Running co-CEO Marc Maurer, former ESPN Chief Marketing Officer Laura Gentile and former Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg.
The board installed Chief Financial Officer Meghan Frank and Chief Commercial Officer André Maestrini as interim co-CEOs while they search for a permanent replacement.
Reuters had reported that Elliott Management, which disclosed a $1 billion stake in the company earlier this month, had been working closely for months with former Ralph Lauren executive Jane Nielsen for a potential CEO role.
When asked whether Wilson was teaming up with activist investor Elliott in pushing for the board change, a person familiar with Wilson's thinking said he was not working with any other investor. At the same time, Elliott's campaign for a new CEO would not interfere with his plans, the person added, asking not to be named.
Wilson had spoken to Nielsen, but any CEO selected by the company before board changes would not have Wilson's support, the source said.
"The recent CEO change announcement was the third total failure of board oversight, with no clear succession plan in place. Shareholders have no faith that this board can select and support the next CEO without input from a board with stronger product experience," Wilson said in a statement.
Lululemon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company's shares rose about 1% in morning trading.
"Adding three new board members seems like something that Lululemon would be willing to do. It might keep Wilson from constantly attacking the board, at least. The nominees appear to be fine, although only one of the three (Maurer) has direct experience in Lululemon's industry," Morningstar analyst David Swartz said.
Wilson likely did not ask for a board seat for himself as he owns a significant stake in Lululemon's competitor Amer Sports, Swartz added.
The Wall Street Journal first reported about Wilson launching a proxy fight against Lululemon's board earlier in the day.
Wilson is one of the biggest independent shareholders of Lululemon, with a 4.27% stake as of December 2025, according to LSEG data.
The yogawear maker's founder had previously called for an urgent search for a CEO to replace McDonald, led by new, independent directors with a deep knowledge of the company to restore a "product-first" mindset at the company.
This is not the first time Wilson has pushed for changes at Lululemon's board.
After founding the apparel company in 1998, Wilson withdrew from daily operations in 2012 and resigned as chairman a year later following a recall of see-through yoga pants that led to the departures of top executives amid a public-relations storm.
He also quit the director post in 2015 after clashing with the board over strategy. However, a proxy fight was averted after Wilson agreed to sell about half of his 27% stake to private-equity firm Advent International for $845 million in return for two additional director positions.
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Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
Joy to the investor! While some market participants worried that the so-called Santa Claus rally wouldn't materialize this year, the major indexes all notched wins in last week's holiday-shortened trading period. The S&P 500 also gave traders the gift of new all-time highs.
Here's what to know:
Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed over the weekend as a major winter storm hit the Northeast U.S. The disruptions come during the busy holiday travel period, when more than 50 million people are expected to fly.
As CNBC's Leslie Josephs reports, airlines including American, Delta, United, Southwest and JetBlue waived change fees last week for travelers flying in and out of several airports in the Northeast. But customers need to travel by the end of the year — in other words, by the time the Times Square ball drops — if they changed their travel plans due to the storm.
President Donald Trump spent yesterday talking with Ukrainian and Russian leaders as he continued to push for a peace deal between the two countries.
Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Before beginning talks, Trump said that "we have the makings of a deal that is good for Ukraine" and "good for everybody." Afterward, Trump said "we're getting a lot closer" to an agreement. Zelenskyy said this morning that he asked Trump for up to 50 years of security guarantees for Ukraine.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had a "good and very productive telephone call" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he planned to call Putin again after finishing his meeting with Zelenskyy.
CNBC's Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning.
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Groq is calling Nvidia's acquisition of its top talent a "non-exclusive licensing agreement." Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said in a report that the structure may be used to avoid antitrust concerns and "keep the fiction of competition alive."
As CNBC's Ari Levy reports, Groq would be Nvidia's largest acquisition on record. But the world's most valuable company is instead choosing to pay for the startup's top talent and access to its technology through licensing — a popular strategy among major tech firms in recent years.
For some on Wall Street, the agreement underscores Nvidia's ballooning size. "They're so big now that they can do a $20 billion deal on Christmas Eve with no press release and nobody bats an eye," Rasgon told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Friday.
Value was a hot topic among some restaurant chains this year as they tried to keep price-conscious consumers coming in their doors. McDonald's extended its $5 value meal and brought back Extra Value Meals. Taco Bell followed suit by expanding its Luxe Cravings box offerings this year.
As CNBC's Amelia Lucas reports, that strategy will likely stick around in 2026.
The emphasis on value comes as data shows diners are more focused on costs after years of high inflation. But not all restaurant chains have jumped on the bandwagon: Fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Cava have tried to avoid discounting and instead zeroed in on quality.
Here's what we're watching in this four-day trading week:
CNBC Pro subscribers can see a calendar and rundown for the week here.
— CNBC's Sean Conlon, Sarah Min, Leslie Josephs, Hugh Son, Holly Ellyatt, Ari Levy and Amelia Lucas contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.
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TikTok has unseated its social media rivals as the top spot for young people to get their news.
TikTok is now the most popular social app for news among 18- to 29-year-olds in the US, according to new survey data from the Pew Research Center. The app surpassed YouTube and Instagram, which were the top choices in 2024.
Forty-three percent of young adults said they regularly get news from TikTok in 2025, compared to 41% for both YouTube and Facebook. Forty percent named Instagram as a regular news source, while 21% said X (formerly Twitter) and 18% said Reddit.
Social media beat out every other format as a place where 18- to 29-year-olds said they get news, according to Pew's survey. Seventy-six percent of the cohort said they often or sometimes get news from social media, compared to 60% for news websites and 28% for email newsletters.
Half of the young adults who responded to Pew's survey said they have some or a lot of trust in social media as a news source. That roughly matched the level of trust the age group has for information from national news organizations.
TikTok has been rising quickly as a go-to source for news. In 2023, 32% of respondents named the video app as a place for regular news consumption.
Watching news on TikTok does not necessarily mean tuning into videos from traditional outlets like The Washington Post or NBC News. Young people view commentary from news influencers and user-generated videos tied to current events, such as from a war zone or protest, as news as well.
A new crop of independent news influencers has emerged to report on current events, including creators like Philip DeFranco and Vitus "V" Spehar's @underthedesknews.
Some professional news organizations, including NPR's "Planet Money," have similarly centered videos on individual creators who can help build trust with their audiences. Gen Z social-media users told Business Insider that they are drawn to news creators who can deliver information in a more authentic and relatable manner.
Beyond news commentary, social media creators and podcasters have taken on a bigger role in news gathering in recent months. Politicians and government institutions are turning to podcasts and other formats to reach people, and content creators had a big presence at national conventions for the Democrats and Republicans last year. Many independent creators have applied for access to White House press briefings in 2025.
TikTok has introduced a handful of features tied to news on its app, including the ability for publishers to link to articles inside videos and a "community notes" style fact-checking tool called footnotes. It also works with "independent fact-checkers in over 130 markets to determine if content is accurate," according to its website.
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Japan's SoftBank on Monday said it has agreed to buy data center investment firm DigitalBridge for $4 billion as part of its artificial intelligence push.
The deal, which has been unanimously approved by a special committee of DigitalBridge's board of directors, will see SoftBank acquire all the outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge for $16 per share in cash.
This represents a 15% premium to DigitalBridge's closing share price on Dec. 26. The deal is expected to close in the second half of next year, according to a SoftBank statement.
SoftBank CEO and Chairman Masayoshi Son said the acquisition "will strengthen the foundation for next-generation AI data centers" and advance the firm's vision to become a leading "Artificial Super Intelligence" platform provider.
"As AI transforms industries worldwide, we need more compute, connectivity, power, and scalable infrastructure," Son said in a statement.
Shares of DigitalBridge last jumped about 10%. The firm's share price had climbed as much as 50% after Bloomberg reported a deal could be imminent.
The agreement between SoftBank and DigitalBridge comes amid a global boom for the infrastructure that underpins AI applications.
"The buildout of AI infrastructure represents one of the most significant investment opportunities of our generation," DigitalBridge CEO Marc Ganzi said in a statement.
SoftBank's "vision, capital strength, and global network will allow us to accelerate our mission with greater flexibility, invest with a longer-term horizon on behalf of our investors, and better serve the world's leading technology companies as they scale their AI ambitions," he added.
SoftBank recently sold its entire stake in U.S. chipmaker Nvidia for $5.83 billion to make room for its investment in OpenAI.
DigitalBridge describes itself as "a unique digital infrastructure business," and had roughly $108 billion of assets under management as of the end of September, according to its website.
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LONDON — European stocks closed mixed on Monday, with defense stocks continuing to struggle amid a possible peace deal in Ukraine.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index stood little changed at close, having hit an intraday record high of 589.61 points earlier in the session but finishing the day at 589.35 points, a 0.11% gain.
The U.K.'s FTSE index traded marginally lower, finished down 0.04%. France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX finished 0.10% higher, while and Italy's FTSE MIB was down 0.38%.
European defense stocks dipped following weekend peace talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Stocks fell in the morning and early afternoon but pared some losses in later trading. Shares of Leonardo fell 1.96% and Rheinmetall dropped around 1%, while Renk, Kongsberg, and Saab were also down at the close. The Stoxx Europe aerospace and defense index was 1.53% lower.
While peace talks could lead to a setback for defense stocks, Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen told CNBC that "it will quickly be apparent that the investments needed in defense in Europe will continue and they will accelerate massively over the next years."
"Definitely a positive potential for European equities if we get some kind of peace," Pedersen told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Monday.
Silver climbed above $80 an ounce for the first time early Monday before pulling back. The precious metal was last seen trading at $71.55 an ounce. Gold dropped 1.6% to last trade at $4,355 an ounce, and copper fell 4.2% to $5.59 an ounce.
Trading volumes could be lighter this week, given the ongoing Christmas holidays and with regional markets set to close on Thursday for New Year's Day.
Oil prices rose as investors weighed the prospects of a deal to end the war in Ukraine, though the prospect of a deal before the year's out is fading after Trump and Zelenskyy said on Sunday that progress had been made during talks to end the war but that "one or two very thorny issues" remained.
U.S. crude oil rose 2.3% to $58.04 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent gained 2% to $61.89. Both benchmarks fell about 2% on Friday.
Ukraine and Russia remain far apart when it comes to territorial concessions demanded by Russia and security guarantees coveted by Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters following talks in Florida on Sunday, Zelenskyy said they had come to an agreement on around "90%" of a 20-point peace plan and that the leaders had fully agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump was slightly less bullish on that front, saying an agreement was "close to 95%" done.
There are no major European earnings or data releases on Monday.
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The ripple effects from Europe's growing appetite for raw materials extend all the way to Sweden's far north.
Thousands of residents and buildings are being uprooted in Kiruna, a city that lies 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The relocation project is regarded as one of the world's most radical urban transformations.
Kiruna is physically on the move because of ground subsidence from the expansion of a sprawling underground iron ore mine. A new home is being created about 3 kilometers east of the old town as part of a multi-decade process that's expected to be completed by 2035.
"It's a place that would seem exotic to so many and, in a way, I guess it is, but also it is a small town like so many others — struggling with what they are struggling with and challenged by being so dependent on one company," Jennie Sjöholm, senior lecturer at Sweden's University of Gothenburg, told CNBC by video call.
Established 125 years ago as a city for the iron ore mining operations of state-owned firm LKAB, Kiruna is a small community that serves as both a significant European space hub and home to the world's largest underground iron ore mine.
LKAB is small in global terms but a highly significant regional player, accounting for 80% of all iron ore mined in the European Union.
Alongside its iron ore operations, which are integral to the steel-making process, LKAB recently identified one of Europe's largest known deposits of rare earths, further strengthening its position in the extraction of essential materials for the green transition.
There are several obstacles to the successful relocation of Kiruna, with players across the spectrum raising political, economic and environmental concerns. Indeed, both the municipality and LKAB have called for greater financial support from the state, as well as the release of more land to accommodate the transformation.
Others have also flagged concerns about the relationship between resource extraction and community sustainability, particularly regarding the potential impact on indigenous Sami reindeer herding and culture.
The city's relocation, which was first planned in 2004, received international attention in August 2025 during the spectacular move of its iconic Kiruna Church. In a feat of engineering, the 113-year-old timber building was moved in its entirety by specialized trailers over a period of two days.
At around the same time, however, LKAB also announced the expansion of its iron ore mine would require the relocation of an additional 6,000 people and 2,700 homes. The mining company, which is responsible for the move, has estimated compensation costs of 22.5 billion SEK ($2.4 billion) over the next 10 years.
Niklas Johansson, senior vice president of public affairs and external relations at LKAB, told CNBC that those being asked to relocate were being offered the market value of their property, plus an additional 25%, or the construction of a new home. Around 90% have elected to take a new house, Johansson said.
"The problem at the moment is that the local municipality has very little land that they own [or] that they can make, from an administrative point of view, buildable," Johansson said.
"They have had to buy land from the state, who owns most of the land above the Arctic Circle. And here you have conflicts with reindeer herding, conflicts with defense, conflicts with nature, etcetera," he added.
Mats Taaveniku, chairman of the municipal council in Kiruna, described the city's relocation as a "huge project," that could yield major opportunities for European citizens for decades to come.
A successful outcome, he added, hinges in part on greater financial and political support from both the Swedish government and the European Union.
"We have what we can call a big fight between the municipality and LKAB, and the municipality and our own government," Taaveniku told CNBC by video call.
"The EU has to step up to support us. It's not enough to make a decision that we have critical and strategic minerals. They have to support us with political statements and money, of course," he added.
CNBC has contacted spokespeople for the Swedish government and the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.
The EU, for its part, has recognized LKAB's new rare earths deposit as strategically important under its Critical Raw Materials Act, a policy that aims for domestic production to satisfy 40% of the region's annual demand by 2030.
Asked how Kiruna residents have reacted to the relocation effort, Taaveniku said: "Some of the citizens are sad because they will lose a lot of memories. They have grown up in a house for two or maybe three generations, so this is sad."
"But on the other hand, everybody knows, we live on the minerals," he said. "Kiruna is built on the minerals, so every resident in Kiruna knows that we have to move from our homes sooner or later because we are dependent on this mining industry."
For those on the move, one aspect that has raised concerns is that Kiruna's new city may be up to 10 degrees Celsius colder in the winter.
A study by the University of Gothenburg found that Kiruna's new city center is laid out in a grid pattern in an area where cold air collects, with tall buildings and narrow streets, meaning that the low sun will likely have difficulty reaching the ground for many months of the year.
"Kiruna is a winter city. It's a cold, Arctic city. The winters are long, and you have a long snow season. It is rarely -35 [degrees Celsius] but it could be that cold for a period of time in mid-winter and it's a very big difference between -15, which is not uncommon, and -25," Sjöholm said. A built heritage specialist, Sjöholm has been following the work on the city's relocation for 25 years.
"It's already a long winter season and if it's cold, human comfort decreases but also things get more fragile, so to speak," she added.
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South Korean online retail giant Coupang said it will offer 1.69 trillion South Korean won ($1.17 billion) in compensation to 34 million users affected by a massive data breach disclosed last month.
The company said in a statement Monday local time that it planned to provide customers with purchase vouchers totaling 50,000 won for various Coupang services.
Former customers who closed their Coupang accounts following the data breach are also eligible to receive the vouchers.
Coupang said users can check their eligibility for the vouchers starting Jan. 15, according to a Google translation of the statement in Korean.
Harold Rogers, interim CEO for Coupang Corp., described the move as a "responsible measure for our customers," and said the company would "fulfill its responsibilities to the end."
"I once again deeply apologize to our customers," he said in the statement.
Rogers' apology came a day after Coupang founder Kim Bom also apologized, saying that he was "devastated" by the disappointment people have experienced.
The data breach, which was revealed on Nov. 18, led to the resignation of CEO Park Dae-jun earlier this month.
Coupang founder Kim Bom said in a separate statement that the company had failed to communicate clearly from the outset of the incident.
The U.S.-based chairman acknowledged his apology was "overdue," explaining that he initially believed it was best to communicate publicly and apologize only after all the facts were confirmed.
"In retrospect, this was a poor judgment. While Coupang worked tirelessly to resolve the situation, I should have expressed my deepest regrets and sincere apologies from the beginning. My heart has been heavy ever since I first learned of the data breach," Kim said.
Kim added that the company has recovered all the leaked customer information through cooperation with the government, as well as the storage devices belonging to a suspect behind the data breach.
He also said the customer information stored on the suspect's computer was limited to 3,000 records and that it was not distributed or sold externally.
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Tiffany Chng and Olivia Yiong said they went from being work besties to regular besties and then work besties again.
The duo, both 31, met in 2018 and became inseparable while working at GuavaPass, a fitness app. Yiong was laid off when Guavapass was acquired by ClassPass in 2019.
Two years later, during the pandemic, Chng was laid off from her marketing job. The duo reunited to launch an athleisure brand, then called Butter, despite having no experience in fashion or entrepreneurship.
Chng's retrenchment and the pandemic lockdown gave them the push they needed to start the brand.
"At that point, we had nothing to lose," Yiong said.
They started with online sales, and in October this year, they opened their first retail store in Singapore's upscale ION Orchard mall, in the heart of the city's luxury shopping district.
Building a brand during the pandemic in an already saturated market and for a conservative audience was not easy.
Exercise and sports have always been a big part of the founders' lives.
Yiong was an F45 trainer, has practiced yoga, pilates, and Muay Thai, and is now training for her first Hyrox. Chng was part of a national team representing Singapore at the 2011 Touch Rugby World Cup and has also dabbled in cheerleading, pilates, yoga, and HIIT.
When Chng was laid off from ClassPass in 2020, they decided to go all in on an athleisure clothing line, which started off with the name "Butter." They invested 20,000 Singapore dollars in 2020 into the brand.
Half came from Yiong's savings, and the other half came from Chng's severance pay.
They started product design in March 2020 and found suppliers in China. They launched in October that year with just two products in two colors: a longline sports bra and a pair of leggings.
COVID lockdowns that pushed everyone online helped them gain visibility. About 500 people joined an online workout they hosted in March 2021.
In 2022, they sold the brand to Love, Bonito, a Singaporean women's wear brand. Afterward, they changed the brand's name to Cheak.
Launching an athleisure brand in Singapore came with a unique set of challenges.
Women in Singapore and Southeast Asia place a high value on modesty and require padding in the bust, the duo said.
"A lot of overseas brands don't have padding. In Singapore, you need padding; it's non-negotiable. One of the most commonly asked questions we get is, 'Does it have padding?'" Chng said.
"But padding changes the construction completely for the product — it requires so many more stitches, and it makes it difficult to have a very clean bind," she added.
Another issue was the sheerness of the fabric.
"Overseas brands don't double line their lighter colors because I think the women are a bit more comfortable with a slight sheerness, but in Singapore, that's not acceptable," she said.
"But when you double-line a garment, it becomes very thick. So, we spent about a year changing the fabric and reducing its thickness so that when we double-lined it, it would still be comfortable," Chng added.
Designing clothes for a customer base that likes to play it safe requires a good deal of restraint, the founders said. They said there was plenty they wanted to experiment with, but had to tone down.
"A lot of brands that are quite popular internationally are quite sexy and crazy nowadays," Yiong said. "So we take that idea, and tweak it to what will work for our audience."
Singapore is becoming a competitive space for athleisure brands. Alo Yoga, the athleisure brand worn by Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, opened its first store in the city's Marina Bay Sands mall in September.
In ION Orchard, the mall where Cheak is located, shoppers can also find Lululemon, Cotton On Body, and Adidas.
To stand out, Cheak focuses on making clothes for Asian women — and that doesn't just mean making them more petite.
"The bust shape is different, our waists are smaller, our hips are slightly wider, and the femur is also a little bit shorter," Yiong said.
Sizing is different for Asian women, too, she added.
"We don't necessarily grow taller as we get bigger; we grow width-wise," Yiong said.
She also said that international brands do not suitably cater to the hot and humid climate that Southeast Asia is known for.
"Fresh international brands, let's say Alo, for example, they come in bringing winter season clothes," she said. "There's no winter; we only have one season, so the fabric needs to be cooling."
Cheak's prices are slightly lower than those of its foreign competitors. One of Cheak's bestselling sports bras costs 55 Singapore dollars, or about $42, while a similar-looking piece from Lululemon costs S$58.
The business has yet to come between the founders.
"Outside of work, we don't talk about work," Chng said. "We see each other on weekends, and our partners hang out together, but we never talk about work."
On the flipside, at work, they don't talk about other things, helping to distinguish their "work personality and friend personality."
Yiong handles the backend work, while Chng handles the creative and customer-facing parts of the work.
But work and life inevitably collide, like when they go on holiday together and fire up their laptops to solve a crisis.
"Our partners see that as their cue to go do their own thing," Yiong joked.
Running their business comes with many perks. Chng, who just had a baby, said she loves having a flexible schedule and working in a hybrid setting.
But that doesn't mean it's less stressful than a corporate job.
"I think a lot of people glamorize what being a founder or starting your own business is," she said. "You have to be able to give up everything, your time, your money, your brain power, your emotions into the business because if you don't do it, no one else is going to."
She added, "It takes a different kind of resilience to handle it, but at the same time, I wouldn't trade it for anything."
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December 29, 2025 @ 12:56 pm By Omar Faridi
BLIFE Protocol, a “decentralized” protocol on the Bitcoin blockchain focused on integrating Web3 applications and cultural experiences, announced it has merged with Portal, an interoperability and liquidity infrastructure for Web3 gaming centered on the utility token PORTAL. The combined business will “operate under the Portal brand.”
Portal will now reportedly maintain its support for cross‑chain gaming and broader interoperability while “integrating BLIFE's Bitcoin‑based projects.”
Benjamin Charbit, former Ubisoft game director for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, will lead Portal as CEO.
Animoca Brands, a global firm focused on digital assets and Web3 and an early supporter of BLIFE, will support “the relaunch of Portal by providing new capital and relevant gaming portfolio connections to strengthen Portal's business and advance its roadmap.”
G-20 will also support as an “ecosystem and strategic partner.”
BLIFE develops Web3‑native experiences “for the Bitcoin ecosystem, aiming to bridge Bitcoin with broader Web3 activity.”
Over the past two years BLIFE has built and “accelerated key infrastructure and products to expand Web3 adoption on Bitcoin, including BLIFE.ID, the first identity passport inscribed on Bitcoin, and Odin.fun, a fast-growing memecoin trading platform.”
BLIFE has cultivated one of the largest Bitcoin communities “focused on Web3 and gaming.”
BLIFE's products have brought Bitcoin users into Web3, “creating a highly engaged community that complements Portal's cross chain audience.”
In mid-2025, BLIFE acquired Beyond, “a tridirectional Bitcoin L1 bridge that connects Bitcoin to other major chains.”
Beyond is preparing for its mainnet launch and “will become part of Portal's interoperability stack.”
This addition will provide Portal with native Bitcoin connectivity and a proprietary cross chain bridge, “positioning Portal as the natural entry point for Bitcoin users who want to access Web3 gaming.”
The merger of BLIFE and Portal brings BLIFE's ecosystem into Portal's interoperability-focused infrastructure, which “includes Portal Hub, the discovery and interoperability platform of Portal.”
Portal's mission is to connect “every chain, pool, and game into one universal liquidity layer, allowing any on-chain game to tap into deep liquidity across the entire Web3 ecosystem, and establishing a definitive infrastructure layer for cross-chain gaming.”
Portal is an omnichain Web3 gaming platform designed “to unify the fragmented blockchain gaming landscape, establishing a single ecosystem for both game distribution and player engagement.”
Its core mission is to make “discovering and playing Web3 games seamless and frictionless, enabling users to engage with titles across various blockchain networks without the need for complex asset bridging or swapping.”
Portal's flagship discovery and interoperability platform is called Portal Hub.
Portal utilizes an omnichain infrastructure, “including a proprietary cross-chain liquidity layer called Portal Pay.”
Portal Pay allows users to pay with any “supported cryptocurrency while ensuring merchants receive their preferred asset.”
Portal's native utility token, PORTAL, is an Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) with “a total supply of one billion.”
PORTAL token is central to the ecosystem, “serving as the key currency for transactions, governance participation, and staking to drive economic activity within the Portal network.”
BLIFE Protocol is setting a course “at the forefront of Bitcoin‘s core principles and the uncharted territories of the Bitcoin ecosystem.”
Facing a digital ecosystem that is said to be riddled with fragmentation and limited accessibility, BLIFE's stated goal / aim is to effectively “reshape the future of digital currency and virtual interaction.”
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Agentic commerce company Rezolve Ai has launched a service called “Revenue Pools” for its enterprise customers.
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The new offering, from the company's SQD Network subsidiary, is designed to bolster rising demand from large enterprise and institutional customers, Rezolve said in a Monday (Dec. 29) news release.
“SQD provides high-performance blockchain data services to major global organizations, including Deutsche Telekom and top DeFi protocols such as Morpho and PancakeSwap whose platforms are designed to require continuous, large-scale access to real-time and historical data,” the release said.
“SQD's Revenue Pool model is designed to fund SQD's infrastructure capacity directly by customer payments as customer usage grows, reinforcing long-term sustainability and alignment between customer usage and economics.”
Resolve said large customers pay to subscribe to data services, and delivering that service at scale requires committed infrastructure capacity by SQD.
With the Revenue Pool, SQD Token holders can temporarily lock their SQD tokens to help bolster that capacity. Tokens are retained by the owner but cannot be moved or sold while locked. When customers pay, a piece of that payment may be shared with the participants, who are compensated in stablecoins.
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“In short, customers pay for the service and those who help support it may share in the income it generates,” the release said.
Rezolve says this is important for the SQD ecosystem because as blockchain data “becomes increasingly mission-critical across business operations, payments, analytics and enterprise systems, infrastructure economics matter.”
PYMNTS spoke earlier this year with Rezolve Ai CEO Daniel Wagner about the changing face of eCommerce as consumers seek personalization, guidance and immediacy.
“The way in which we navigate eCommerce is not good,” Wagner told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster for the Monday Conversation series. “It served its purpose for nearly 30 years, but it is no longer ideal.”
As the report added, anyone who has tried to find a product online has gone through a pattern of entering a search term, combing through results and often abandoning their effort. It's a poor replacement for the personalized, conversational experience that comes with speaking in-store with a knowledgeable salesperson.
But Wagner said he believes that a transformation is taking place, one where digital retail, helped by artificial intelligence, must finally provide the intuitive, responsive experience consumers have long taken for granted in brick-and-mortar stores.
“When you walk into a physical store, 7 out of 10 times you end up walking out with a product,” he said. “When you arrive on a digital platform, 7 out of 10 times, you do not leave with a product.”
Rezolve Debuts Revenue Pools to Support Blockchain Infrastructure
From Mines to Oil Rigs, How AI Is Rewiring Mining, Energy and Agriculture
Coupang Makes Billion-Dollar Apology After Record Data Breach
AI Firms Build $150B Funding Fortress
We're always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
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Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) is one of the best beaten-down technology stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On December 22, analysts at Citi reiterated a Buy rating on Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) but cut the price target to $325 from $485.
The price target cut comes on the heels of the research firm updating valuation multiples in its digital assets group. Despite the price target cut, the firm remains optimistic about the sector's long-term outlook. Likewise, it has echoed legislative reform expected to catalyze the industry's stocks.
On December 16, S&P Global Ratings affirmed Strategy Inc. at ‘B-' with a stable outlook, noting the company's new U.S. dollar reserve as a credit positive. The reserve helps cover preferred dividends and coupon payments for 12–24 months, reducing liquidity risk during periods of limited market access and delaying any need to sell bitcoin.
On the other hand, between December 8 and December 14, Strategy sold 163,306 shares of its 10% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock. It generated $16.3 million in notional value and $18 million in net proceeds after sales commissions. The company also sold 1.03 million shares of 10% Series A Perpetual Stride Preferred Stock (NASDAQ:STRD), with a notional value of $102.9 million and net proceeds of $82.2 million.
During the week, Strategy also acquired 10,645 Bitcoins at an aggregate price of $980.3 million at an average price of $92,098 per Bitcoin. As of December 14, 2025, the company held 671,268 Bitcoin valued at about $50.33 billion.
Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) is a leading Bitcoin treasury company that accumulates Bitcoin on its balance sheet. It also provides AI-powered enterprise analytics software for data analysis, visualization, and business intelligence to global customers in sectors like retail, finance, and healthcare, aiming to help businesses make data-driven decisions.
While we acknowledge the potential of MSTR as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
READ NEXT: 13 Best Beaten Down Stocks to Invest in According to Analysts and 14 Best Forever Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) said its combined crypto, cash and higher-risk “moonshot” investments have reached $13.2 billion, driven by an ether ETH$2,940.97 position that now totals more than 4.1 million tokens.
The firm in a Monday press release said the holdings make it the world's largest publicly owned ether treasury and place it second globally among corporate crypto treasuries, behind bitcoin-only Strategy (MSTR).
As of Dec. 28, Bitmine said it held 4,110,525 ETH, along with 192 bitcoin, a $23 million stake in Eightco Holdings and $1 billion in cash.
The ether position represents about 3.41% of the network's circulating supply of roughly 120.7 million ETH, putting the company about two-thirds of the way toward what it calls its “alchemy of 5%” target.
"We continue to be the largest 'fresh money' buyer of ETH in the world," said Thomas Lee, chairman of Bitminee.
"Year-end tax-loss related selling is pushing down crypto and crypto equity prices and this effect tends to be the greatest from 12/26 to 12/30, so we are navigating markets with this in mind," he added.
Bitmine said it has currently staked 408,627 ETH, worth about $1.2 billion, and is working with three staking providers as it prepares to launch its Made in America Validator Network, or MAVAN, in early 2026.
Using the current composite Ethereum staking rate of 2.81%, Lee estimated that fully staking the company's ether holdings could generate roughly $374 million in annual staking revenue.
The company also released a special chairman's message ahead of its annual shareholder meeting on Jan. 15, 2026, at the Wynn Las Vegas, urging investors to vote in favor of four proposals tied to its long-term strategy.
Ether was trading little-changed over the past 24 hours around $2,950 at publication time.
Read more: Most Influential: Tom Lee
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The token has support at the $1.69 level and resistance at $1.80.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
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Cleanspark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) is one of the best bitcoin mining stocks to buy according to Hedge Funds.
As of December 24 closing, forecasts remain strong for Cleanspark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) with a consensus 1-year average price target of $24.30. This results in an upside potential of over 113% for investors, after yielding almost 74% already in 2025. The stock has been covered by 10 analysts, all of whom have given Buy calls.
Image by Лечение Наркомании from Pixabay
Gregory Lewis from BTIG was one of those analysts who reiterated his bullish stance on Cleanspark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK). The analyst assigned a Buy rating to the stock on December 15, with a $26 price target. As per Lewis's estimates, there is still an upside potential of around 128% for investors.
Earlier in December, Cleanspark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) shared its bitcoin mining data for the month of November. The management revealed mining of 587 bitcoins during the month, and an increase in contracted power by 11% during the process.
CEO and Chairman Matt Schultz said:
“CleanSpark's progress this year reflects what's possible when a team believes in a shared mission. Last month, we expanded our contracted power to over 1.4 GW with an additional 125 MW in TVA's service territory and had a successful closing of our $1.15 billion zero-coupon convertible notes offering. Our team is focused on expanding CleanSpark's contracted power, continuing to mine efficiently, and positioning the business to rapidly lease existing capacity while maintaining optionality to shift hashrate to optimal segments of the portfolio. We are proud of fiscal 2025 and even more excited for the road ahead.”
Cleanspark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) is labeled as “America's Bitcoin Miner”. The company operates an extensive network of bitcoin mining assets across the U.S., which have gigawatts of mining capacity. The company is now making a strategic pivot towards high-performance computing and AI by leveraging its current infrastructure asset base.
While we acknowledge the potential of CLSK as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
READ NEXT: 15 Most Promising Mid-Cap Healthcare Stocks Under $50 and 11 Most Promising Small-Cap Industrial Stocks Under $50.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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Strategy (MSTR), the largest publicly traded holder of bitcoin BTC$89,558.82, resumed purchases after boosting its US dollar reserves to $2.2 billion the prior week.
The company acquired 1,229 bitcoin last week for $108.8 million, at an average price of $88,568 per coin, according to a filing released Monday morning.
Total holdings increased to 672,497 BTC, acquired for $50.44 billion, representing an average purchase price of $74,997 per bitcoin.
The acquisition was funded through the sale of $108.8 million in Class A common stock.
MSTR shares were down 1% in premarket trading to $157 per share, while bitcoin slipped to around $87,000.
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State of the Blockchain 2025
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
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Aptos' APT delines on below average volume
The token has support at the $1.69 level and resistance at $1.80.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
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The global blockchain in energy market is valued at USD 3.68 billion in 2025 and is projected to surpass USD 833.82 billion by 2035, expanding at an extraordinary CAGR of 72% between 2026 and 2035. Fueled by renewable energy acceleration, grid decentralization, digital energy ecosystems, and the urgent push toward transparency and efficiency, blockchain is rapidly shifting from experimental pilot projects to critical energy infrastructure.
Blockchain is unlocking a new decentralized era in energy. It enables peer-to-peer electricity trading, supports microgrids, strengthens renewable energy certification, and automates transactions through smart contracts. By reducing dependence on centralized utilities, blockchain empowers consumers, improves system resilience, and promotes energy democratization.
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Overcoming Challenges to Unlock the Full Potential of Blockchain in Energy Despite its vast potential, blockchain adoption in the energy sector faces regulatory complexities, compliance requirements, and governance challenges. Ensuring data privacy, market fairness, and interoperability will be critical. However, progressing pilot initiatives, supportive policies, and collaboration between regulators and technology providers are steadily paving the way forward.
A USD 833 Billion Opportunity Reshaping Global Energy Markets With a projected 72% CAGR through 2035, blockchain is positioned not just as a technological evolution but as a massive economic opportunity. It is enabling new revenue models, advancing digital energy marketplaces, strengthening supply chains, and facilitating smarter decision-making—ultimately accelerating the global transition toward a cleaner, more transparent energy future.
Key Players Shaping the Market Microsoft - Azure Blockchain Workbench IBM Corporation SAP Accenture Oracle Infosys BigchainDB GmbH LO3 Energy WePower Deloitte Blockchain is transitioning from a pioneering concept to a cornerstone of the next-generation digital energy economy. With its ability to deliver transparency, automation, security, and decentralization, it plays a decisive role in:
accelerating renewable adoption enabling trusted energy markets strengthening grid resilience empowering consumers and communities supporting climate sustainability goals As regulatory clarity improves and pilots scale into enterprise adoption, blockchain is positioned to redefine how energy is produced, traded, managed, and valued worldwide.
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BTC and ETH ETFs continue to see another week of outflow. Source: Getty Images.
Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have continued to experience massive outflows towards the end of the year.
At a time when BTC and ETH investment products continue to see outflows, Solana and XRP ETFs have maintained their market-defying momentum, recording their most significant weekly inflows since inception.
Crypto investment products saw outflows of $446 million last week, bringing total outflows since the October 10th shock price decline to $3.2 billion.
Despite the recent drawdown, year-to-date inflows remain robust at $46.3 billion, slightly below 2024's $48.7 billion, while total assets under management (AUM) are still up 10% YTD.
Bitcoin investment products accounted for the bulk of last week's outflows, shedding $443 million, while Ethereum products followed with $59.5 million in outflows.
In contrast, newer products continued to attract capital. Solana and XRP ETFs both posted their strongest weekly inflows since launch, defying the broader trend.
XRP ETFs recorded $79 million in net inflows, while Solana ETFs added more than $7.5 million.
The divergence suggests investor confidence is becoming increasingly selective, with capital rotating toward XRP and Solana exposure even as funds continue to exit Bitcoin and Ethereum products.
Examining the weekly flow of crypto investment products, investors remain cautious about the value of BTC and ETH heading into the end of the year.
BTC's price reclaimed $90,000, while the ETH price climbed above $ 3,000.
However, like several past instances since October, both tokens failed to sustain the bullish momentum and lost all of their gains within hours of breaking past key resistance.
On the other hand, altcoin spot prices remain in the bearish zone; however, due to the recent launch of these products, investors are more open to taking risks with them, as evident from XRP's zero outflow days, while Solana has seen key inflows from time to time.
The United States remains the hub of most flows, owing to the launch of some of the largest ETF products in the country.
Germany's inflows suggest opportunistic buying during market dips, while the US dominated the negative flows.
December 29, 2025 06:24 ET
| Source:
Ourbit SuperCEX
Ourbit SuperCEX
SINGAPORE, Dec. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ourbit SuperCEX has officially concluded its flagship year-end user appreciation campaign, “Cosmic Wheel.” According to official data, the event featured a prize pool of 2,600,000 USDT, drawing nearly 60,000 participants and 400 competing teams. The campaign's highest individual reward reached 2,001.68 USDT. A key highlight was the debut of the limited-edition “ourbie” NFT, which offers holders future platform token airdrops and high-value ecosystem perks, sparking significant market interest.
Futures War: Total Trading Volume Reaches $2.2 Billion
As part of the “Cosmic Wheel” campaign, the Futures War team competition recorded a total trading volume of approximately 2.23 billion USDT. The event highlighted both concentrated trading activity and wide participation across teams.
The top three teams by trading volume were:
Analysing the trading structure and team performance, the Futures War revealed a unique competitive landscape in which top-tier dominance coincided with broad-based participation. With nearly 400 teams involved, the event achieved both high concentration and high vitality, deepening engagement across diverse user segments and significantly amplifying the overall competitive intensity.
The Fortune Draw: A Task-Driven Interactive Experience
In addition to the Futures War, The Fortune Draw was a key interactive component of the “Cosmic Wheel” campaign. Backed by a 600,000 USDT prize pool, the event employed a task-based mechanism—“Complete Tasks – Earn Draws – Unlock Prizes”—to support user engagement through a gamified structure.
The event was extended from two phases to three, and most participants received various rewards, including USDT, $BITCH tokens, and limited-edition “ourbie” NFTs.
According to official Ourbit sources, all rewards from The Fortune Draw are expected to be distributed by December 28, 23:59 (UTC+8).
'Ourbie' NFT: A Gateway to Long-Term Ecosystem Value
The limited-edition ourbie NFT emerged as a focal point of the campaign, positioned as a vital credential for Ourbit's long-term ecosystem value. Official disclosures reveal that holders will be eligible for future platform token airdrops and exclusive platform privileges.
While many users secured the NFT via the Fortune Draw, Ourbit also opened a public sales channel for those who missed out or wished to accumulate more. Users could acquire the NFT for 10,000 $BITCH. Furthermore, Ourbit established an official buyback mechanism at 300 USDT, providing a clear value anchor and downside protection for the asset.
“Cosmic Wheel” represents a milestone for Ourbit SuperCEX, successfully blending high-stakes trading, interactive tasks, and long-term equity through its multi-layered design. The combined structure of the Futures War, the Fortune Draw, and the ourbie NFT contributed to increased platform activity and liquidity, while offering users multiple avenues for engagement. As 2025 concludes, the campaign provides a reference point for future product development and user-focused initiatives at Ourbit.
About Ourbit
Ourbit is a new-generation cryptocurrency exchange that merges the best of centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) trading into one seamless app. With just one account, you can switch instantly between spot, futures, and on-chain trading — One App, Trade Everything. Since its launch, Ourbit has rapidly climbed into the global Top 30 exchanges (CoinGecko & CoinMarketCap), becoming the go-to platform for memecoin lovers and active traders worldwide.
Key Features of Ourbit SuperCEX
ContactBrand ManagerJason LeeOurbitjason.lee@ourbit.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3297083-50ec-49e8-b60a-33153fb4c48d
Colle AI (COLLE), the multichain AI-powered NFT creation platform, announced an expansion of its intelligent NFT structuring capabilities, designed to better support creators operating high-volume production pipelines. The enhanced framework introduces deeper automation and adaptive logic into how NFTs are organized, assembled, and prepared for deployment, enabling creators to manage large-scale workflows with greater speed and reliability across decentralized environments.
The expanded structuring system improves how Colle AI interprets creative inputs and translates them into coherent asset architectures. By automatically organizing visual layers, metadata hierarchies, and compositional relationships, the platform removes much of the manual coordination traditionally required in large NFT projects. This allows artists, studios, and brands to generate extensive collections while maintaining structural consistency and reducing production friction, even as output volume increases.
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Embedded directly into Colle AI's multichain pipelines, the upgraded structuring intelligence ensures assets remain compatible with the technical requirements of networks such as Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, BNB Chain, and the XRP Ledger. As creators scale their pipelines, the system dynamically preserves formatting accuracy, metadata integrity, and deployment readiness across chains. “High-volume NFT creation depends on strong structural foundations,” said J. King Kasr, Chief Scientist at KaJ Labs. “By expanding intelligent structuring, Colle AI enables creators to scale confidently while the platform manages complexity across multichain environments.”
This enhancement reflects Colle AI's continued focus on building high-performance creative infrastructure tailored for modern Web3 demands. As creator pipelines grow in size and sophistication, Colle AI remains committed to evolving its intelligent systems to deliver fast, adaptive, and scalable solutions that empower creators to focus on innovation rather than operational overhead.
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Bitcoin BTC$87,794.18 reversed gains made earlier in Asia, puncturing nascent recovery rallies in major alternative cryptocurrencies.
The leading cryptocurrency by market value dropped below $88,000, having peeped above $90,000, CoinDesk data show. Major altcoins including XRP$1.8660, ether ETH$2,940.97, solana SOL$123.72 and DOGE$0.1239 also retraced their adances. The CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20) pulled back to 2,726, roughly where it was in early Asia before it popped to 2,789.
The decline is consistent with weakness in stock index futures. As of writing, futures tied to Wall Street's tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index traded 0.5% lower on the day, pointing to a cautious start to trading.
BTC and the Nasdaq share a strong positive correlation that becomes more pronounced during Nasdaq downtrends, according to Wintermute.
The pullback led traders to slightly scale back their leveraged bets. Data from Coinglass shows that cumulative open interest in futures listed worldwide declined to around 533,000 BTC from the 540,000 BTC seen earlier today. Open interest had popped from 524,000 BTC as the bitcoin price rose to $90,000.
The cryptocurrency has recently tended to underperform during U.S. hours, according to Laser Digital.
"An interesting trend to take note of has been the distinct underperformance during the US timezone. (both BTC, ETH down 3%+ over US hours [last week] offset by strength during Asian hours) driven most likely by selling pressure coming from the year-end tax harvesting flow as crypto has been a large underperformer among global assets this year," analysts at Laser Digital wrote in an analysis note Monday.
John Glover, an Elliott wave expert and chief investment officer at crypto lender Ledn, signaled a bullish outlook.
"The Bitcoin price chart looks very promising for higher prices in the future, but less certainty in the near term. I continue to look for the market to trade sideways to slightly lower in the coming weeks/months, and look to add to longs between $71k and $84k," Glover told CoinDesk in an email.
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What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
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Aptos' APT delines on below average volume
The token has support at the $1.69 level and resistance at $1.80.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
The 5% tax on billionaires' wealth in California has erupted into sharp warnings this week, with prominent figures from both the tech and crypto sectors, such as Larry Page, Peter Thiel, and David Sacks, threatening to relocate if the proposed tax model is approved.
The ballot initiative, California's proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act, would impose a one-time 5% tax on net wealth above $1 billion, including unrealized gains on paper assets. This initiative is to help fund the state services, such as the healthcare sector. However, according to the opponents of the law, this strategy could trigger an exodus of high-net-worth residents, cause disruptions in the local investments and innovations, and force equity sales to cover tax liabilities.
The proposal received heavy backlash and public criticism from executives and founders across the technology and crypto industries. Kraken co-founder Jesse Powell tweeted how this tax could be “the final straw”, suggesting the relocation of billionaires if this measure is realized.
A 5% theft of unrealized gains and assets taxes were already paid on is about the most retarded thing I've ever heard. I promise you this will be the final straw. Billionaires will take with them all of their spending, hobbies, philanthropy and jobs. Solve the waste/fraud issue. https://t.co/DKcNWni2kB
Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley posted on X how the application to unrealized gains could force the billionaire residents to sell their stakes or assets to meet tax liabilities, which can, in turn, disrupt the investment and business growth.
<2 years ago Ro was pushing against the policy he's advocating for today. Nothing about the policy logic changed. This is the thing about politicians of this era —Their words mean little. While the typical person speaks when they have robust conviction, politicians of this… https://t.co/h4HAHCvZyq
Palmer Luckey, cofounder of Anduril, a defense technology firm, publicly denounced the proposal, stating it could compel founders to sell large shares of their companies to pay the bill, while other prominent billionaires warned that the tax might be an “organized government seizure of private property.”
Adding to the pressure around the topic, reports suggested that billionaires Peter Thiel, a venture capitalist, and Larry Page, co-founder of Google, are planning to relocate from California if the tax model is moved forward.
Billionaire Bill Ackman said California is on a path to “self-destruction” if the tax act moves forward. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “Hollywood is already toast, and now the most productive entrepreneurs will leave, taking their tax revenues and job creation elsewhere.
US Representative Ro Khanna defended the bill, saying that this act could help in the betterment of California's economy, including sectors such as childcare, housing, and education.
My district is $18 trillion, nearly 1/3 of US stock market in a 50 mile radius. We have 5 companies with a market cap over a trillion dollar companies. If I can stand up for a billionaire tax, this is not a hard position for 434 other members or 100 Senators.Those saying that… https://t.co/k7j4TvJARK
He mocked Peter Thiel and Larry Page as they consider leaving California if the tax bill is implemented, saying that he will miss them very much.
As Ro Khanna received tremendous criticism and was accused of “scaring away billionaires”, he counter-argued that “We cannot have a nation with extreme concentration of wealth in a few places, but where 70% of Americans believe the American dream is dead and healthcare, childcare, housing, and education are unaffordable. What will stifle American innovation, what will make us fall behind China, is if we see further political dysfunction and social unrest, if we fail to cultivate the talent in every American and in every city and town.”
“Those saying that we wouldn't have a future NVIDIA in the Bay if this tax goes into effect are glossing over Silicon Valley history. Jensen was at LSI Logic, and his co-founders were at Sun. He started NVIDIA in my district because of the semiconductor talent, Stanford, innovation networks, and venture funding.”
Beyond the threats to individual relocation, venture capital figures and startup founders have also voiced their concerns about the dampened entrepreneurship in the state if the tax bill is passed.
Chamath Palihapitiya warned the tax would “kill entrepreneurship in California,” arguing that “founders whose wealth is tied up in illiquid equity could be forced into untenable cash demands just to cover the levy.”
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian criticized the idea of taxing unrealized gains altogether, calling it the “wrong answer” to addressing the wealth gap and cautioning that it could drive entrepreneurs and investors out of the state.
Even *David Sacks, a prominent tech executive and White House adviser on AI and cryptocurrency, shared on social media that “5 % across-the-board confiscation of net worth,” hinting that he may reconsider his own California residency in response.
Read More: Coinbase CEO Says, “Bitcoin is Good for USD.”
The debate moved further, to the inequality and fiscal policy in one of the US's most economically progressive states. While the Republicans and the businessmen warn the state about the disadvantages of passing the bill, proponents continue to argue that the wealthy can and should contribute more to society.
Gavin Newsom, California's Governor, has stressed the importance of addressing systemic inequalities without undermining the state's economic contributors.
For the bill to qualify for the 2026 ballot, the initiative should collect around 875,000 signatures. Upon fulfilling the conditions, the issue could either make or break the state's economy, defining a political flashpoint. Implementation of the tax act could push some of the world's wealthiest businessmen to leave the state.
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Bitcoin BTC$89,558.82 whales, or holders with at least 1,000 BTC, have been the dominant buyers since the price of the largest cryptocurrency bottomed near $80,000 at the end of November, according to Glassnode data. They remain the strongest accumulators as bitcoin trades just below $90,000.
According to Glassnode data, the 1,000-10,000 BTC cohort is the only group showing sustained accumulation, with an Accumulation Trend Score close to 1.
The metric breaks down buying and selling behavior across wallet cohorts, measuring both the size of entities and the net amount of bitcoin they have acquired over the past 15 days. A score closer to 1 indicates accumulation, while a score closer to 0 signals distribution.
The data suggests that large holders have been accumulating bitcoin in the $80,000 range, a price level bitcoin has not traded in for an extended period compared with other price buckets.
This behavior contrasts sharply with smaller holders, all of whom show varying degrees of distribution.
Given that the Crypto Fear and Greed Index has remained in "fear" or "extreme fear" for roughly the past 30 days, this selling pressure from smaller entities likely reflects capitulation.
Meanwhile, the 10,000-plus BTC whale cohort was aggressively buying when bitcoin traded near $80,000 in late November, though they have begun to slow over recent weeks. Still, as a cohort they are not yet selling, which was the dominant behavior the the BTC price topped $100,000 around mid-year.
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State of the Blockchain 2025
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
More For You
Aptos' APT delines on below average volume
The token has support at the $1.69 level and resistance at $1.80.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
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MUSE ENT NFT USD (MSCTUSD) is currently priced at $0.00015000663, with a change percentage of 0.0%. Though it seems to be at a standstill, it's crucial to examine why the price is stable and what future forecasts predict for this cryptocurrency.
Currently, MSCTUSD is holding steady at $0.00015000663, unchanged in its percentage move for today. The trading volume is notably small at 19, compared to an average volume of 8, indicating low trading activity. The year's low sits at $0.00015, suggesting that it is currently at the threshold, with its year high significantly higher at $0.005781.
Technical indicators highlight a flat market for MSCTUSD. The RSI, MACD, and ADX are all at 0.00, showing neither oversold nor overbought conditions, which predicts continued stability in the absence of new market catalysts. With a MFI of 50.00 and an RVI of 50.00, the coin seems to be in a neutral position. This neutrality is reinforced by the absence of significant trends as observed in envelopes and oscillators.
Looking ahead, Meyka AI has forecasted a potential rise in MSCTUSD's price, projecting it could reach $0.00797357851483382 in a year and possibly $0.0838042254844757 in seven years. These forecasts suggest optimism over the mid to long-term. However, forecasts can change due to macroeconomic shifts, regulations, or unexpected events affecting the crypto market.
Despite the current stagnation, the market sentiment around MSCTUSD remains cautiously optimistic, buoyed by the broader interest in NFT-related assets. The significant drop from previous highs indicates past bearish pressures, but the potential for recovery suggests latent investor interest that may resurface with broader industry developments.
While MSCTUSD remains stable today, the data indicates potential long-term growth. Investors should watch for any developments in the NFT space that could drive future price changes, keeping in mind the volatile nature of crypto markets.
As of now, MSCTUSD is priced at $0.00015000663 with no percentage change for the day. The market activity appears low with a volume of 19 compared to the average of 8.
Technical indicators like RSI, MACD, and ADX are at 0.00, suggesting no current trend direction. This neutrality means the price is likely to stay stable unless influenced by new market factors.
Meyka AI forecasts suggest that MSCTUSD could see considerable growth over the years, with potential prices reaching up to $0.0838042254844757 in seven years.
The stability is due to low trading volumes and the absence of significant market-moving news or trends, keeping the price unchanged despite prior significant lows and highs.
Yes, macroeconomic shifts, regulatory changes, or unexpected market events can influence MSCTUSD prices, as with any cryptocurrency. It's essential to monitor these factors closely.
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Ethereum has been having a hard time over the last few months after hitting a brand new all-time high back in August 2025. The last quarter of the year has been especially brutal, with the cryptocurrency's price down more than 29% in Q4 2025. Despite this abysmal performance, things have failed to turn around, with technical indicators continuing to point to further decline for the altcoin. The latest of these is the appearance of a descending triangle structure, that carried the promise of further downside.
Ethereum Price Is Still Not Bullish
As crypto analyst Alpha Trade Scope points out in a TradingView post, the Ethereum price chart is still showing major signs of weakness. For example, the digital asset saw its price crash below a descending trendline, and this has marked the continuation of the downtrend that began three months ago.
The current price trend has led to the formation of a descending triangle structure, which emerged after the cryptocurrency completed an impulse move. Not only this, the trend of recording lower highs has been evidence of the increased selling pressure on the cryptocurrency. Doing this below the aforementioned descending trendline just lends credence to the fact that the downtrend is not over.
There has also been a major shift in the market structure of the Ethereum price. For one, there was a Change of Character (CHoCH), which shows that the Ethereum price is no longer bullish, but is rather more bearish at this point.
Resistance has also mounted at the $3,000 level over time, and the price has been trading well below this resistance for a while now. Also, the Ethereum price is caught in a tight range, trading within the Fair Value Gap (FVG) mapped out between $2,930 and $2,960. This shows the rising resistance at this level, that could serve as a rejection in the case of a recovery attempt.
How Low Can The ETH Price Go?
If the current bearish trend holds and the Ethereum price does get rejected, then the first target for the downside lies at $2,815. This first target serves as the first support for the cryptocurrency and the destination for an initial liquidity sweep as investors sell into the decline. However, it is not the final target.
In the case of a further break, then $2,800 is expected to give way, leading to the second major target at $2,748. This target is more of a major demand zone and is more likely to trigger a bounce due to the mounting buying pressure at this point. “The chart presents a classic bearish continuation setup, favoring downside expansion if support breaks with confirmation,” the analyst said.
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Fun-loving and cheerful, a passionate blockchain and crypto writer who knows no boundary…connect if you share the same passion. With 10+ years of writing experience, I am a Crypto Journalist by chance, exploring, and learning all the dynamics of the sci-fi action-filled crypto world. Currently, focusing on cryptocurrency news and price data. With a passion for research and challenging my capabilities, I am slowly getting into the crypto arena to bring new insights every day.
Qadir Ak is the founder of Coinpedia. He has over a decade of experience writing about technology and has been covering the blockchain and cryptocurrency space since 2010. He has also interviewed a few prominent experts within the cryptocurrency space.
The 2026 Billionaire Tax Act proposes a 5% levy on wealth over $1B, including unrealized gains, raising concerns for startup founders and crypto investors.
Crypto and tech leaders warn California's wealth tax could drive founders, capital, and innovation out of the state amid fears of illiquid asset taxation.
California's proposed billionaire wealth tax is quickly becoming a major flashpoint for the cryptocurrency and technology sectors. While state leaders say the policy will help fund public services, critics argue it could weaken the startup and innovation economy that helped make California a global powerhouse.
The core issue, according to industry leaders, is that the tax misunderstands how modern wealth is created, particularly in crypto companies, startups, and venture-backed businesses, where most wealth exists on paper rather than in cash.
The proposal, officially titled the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act, would introduce a 5% tax on net wealth above $1 billion. The revenue would be directed toward healthcare and social programs.
What sets this plan apart is its inclusion of unrealized gains, meaning individuals could be taxed on assets they have not sold. This includes private company equity, startup shares, and long-term crypto holdings, assets that are often illiquid and difficult to convert into cash.
Supporters say the tax ensures the ultra-wealthy contribute more. Critics say it creates financial pressure for founders whose wealth is tied to business ownership rather than income.
The unrealized gains tax has drawn the strongest criticism from founders and crypto leaders. Many startup founders take modest salaries and rely on equity for long-term value. When a company's valuation increases, a founder can suddenly be classified as a billionaire without receiving any actual money.
This situation, critics argue, forces founders to make difficult choices, including selling equity early or taking on personal debt just to meet tax obligations. Over time, this uncertainty may discourage long-term innovation and risk-taking, especially in emerging sectors like blockchain and crypto.
Several industry leaders, including Hunter Horsley, Nic Carter, and Jesse Powell, have warned that the tax could accelerate capital flight from California. Their concern goes beyond individual relocation.
They argue that startups, venture capital firms, skilled workers, and philanthropic investment could gradually shift to regions with more predictable tax environments. In a digital-first economy, capital and talent are highly mobile, and policy signals play a major role in where innovation settles.
Chamath Palihapitiya has been one of the most outspoken critics of the proposal. He argues that the tax is not gradual but an immediate 5% charge on total wealth, which can create serious cash-flow problems for founders.
In some cases, founders could owe tens of millions of dollars based on short-term valuations, even though their assets remain illiquid. If those valuations later fall, the tax liability may still stand, leaving founders financially exposed.
Analysts say this structure is deeply flawed, as established billionaires often have the resources to manage the impact, while younger founders building new companies face the greatest risk.
For the crypto sector, the debate goes beyond taxation. It reflects a growing gap between policymakers and innovation-driven industries. Crypto leaders worry that policies targeting paper wealth could discourage builders at a time when global competition for talent and capital is intensifying.
The concern is not about avoiding taxes. It is about designing rules that do not penalize innovation before it turns into real economic value.
Stay ahead with breaking news, expert analysis, and real-time updates on the latest trends in Bitcoin, altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, and more.
California's 2026 Billionaire Tax Act proposes a 5% tax on net wealth above $1B, including unrealized gains, to fund healthcare and social programs.
Founders with wealth tied to equity may owe large taxes without cash, forcing early share sales or debt and increasing financial risk.
Industry leaders warn unpredictable taxes may drive founders, investors, and companies to states with more stable, innovation-friendly policies.
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Known as a kore, this 2,500 year-old-statue is a fusion of ancient aesthetics and a symbol of cultural exchange between the Greeks and the Etruscans.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story:
At an archaeological site in what used to be the ancient Etruscan city of Vulci, the disembodied head of a young woman began to emerge from the ground, her empty eyes staring through millennia of history. Her marble face had not seen daylight in 2,500 years.
Before the rise of the Roman Empire, the Etruscan civilization flourished in the western region of central Italy once known as Etruria. Vulci was situated northwest of Rome in what is now the province of Viterbo. As directors of the Vulci Cityscape project, archaeologists Mariachiara Franceschini of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and Pau Pasieka of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz were excavating the ruins of this once prosperous ancient metropolis. It was there that they came upon the marble head of a statue mirroring the Greek korai found near the Parthenon in the Athenian Acropolis. It was a rare glimpse into a larger sculpture that shows the extent of Greek influence on Etruscan art and culture.
The face of the nameless woman most likely gazed out from a monumental temple that was discovered in 2020 near Tempio Grande. She had once had a decorative and possibly ritual purpose. With an eerily lifelike smile, she wears a diadem over a crown of hair that has been meticulously carved down to every strand, and while the paint that once brought her to life has long since eroded, she was preserved so well that traces of original paint can still be seen on the marble. While it used to be thought that most of the cultural exchange between Etruria and the Attica region of Greece (also famous for its honey) was evidenced in the form of painted pottery, the head of this kore shows that Hellenic influence reached beyond clay vessels.
Whoever commissioned this statue must have been one of the Etruscan elite. Marble was an expensive material usually reserved for the religious or funerary art of the upper classes, and the quality of the craftsmanship can still be seen thousands of years later. This level of detail extends to the texture of the kore's hair—its flowing waves are reminiscent of similar Hellenic statues. She is one of the few pieces in this style found outside of Greece. Most previous Etruscan excavations have focused on tombs and necropolis complexes without much investigation of everyday urban life. Unlike the broken columns of ancient Greek and Roman cities that are still standing, no buildings survive in that area. Only their foundations remain.
This kore is now being restored at Rome's Instituto Centrale per il Restauro. Though it is not certain whether she was made for the temple she is now being associated with, that temple rose between the end of the sixth and the beginning of the fifth century B.C.E. It was also built the same time as another temple that was excavated during the 1950s and dated based on artifacts that were unearthed around its foundations. Crumbling sections of wall made of volcanic rock gave more insight into how the architecture of Vulci evolved over a thousand years of serving as the heart of Etruscan society.
“We discovered remains from the city's origins that had previously been overlooked in Vulci and are now better able to understand the dynamics of settlement and the road system, besides identifying different functional areas in the city,” Pasieka said in a press release about the discovery of the temple.
Another impressive Etruscan object with Hellenized features is a massive bronze lamp whose symbolism was a mystery for decades. Its images of forest nymphs and satyrs were finally determined to be revelers of Dionysus, the Greek deity of wine, fertility, ecstasy, mysticism and theatre, who appears as a horned god in ornamental figures that surround them.
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Excavations indicated that the wall was deliberately and systematically removed, leading to additional questions as to who was responsible.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story:
Tucked under one of the most historic complexes in all of Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered the largest section yet of the city's “First Wall,” dating to the time of the Hasmoneans (or Maccabees).
“The newly uncovered section, known in ancient historical sources as the ‘First Wall,' is particularly impressive in both its size and its degree of preservation,” Amit Re'im and Marion Zindel, excavation directors for the Israel Antiquities Authority, wrote in a statement. “The wall is meticulously built of large, heavy stones, with a chiseled boss typical of this period.”
The 131-foot-long section of the ancient city wall, located beneath the historic Kishle prison complex, is the largest and most well-preserved of any section of the First Wall ever discovered. Originally built in the late second century B.C.E., the wall once stood more than 30 feet tall.
Located nearby the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum, which dates to King Herod's time, this wall would have also surrounded Mount Zion during the second temple period. Details of the wall are preserved through historical accounts—Josephus, a first century C.E. historian who chronicled its route and gates, called it “impregnable.” That said, just because it was called the First Wall, doesn't make it so: Josephus also noted an old wall that may have been built by David and Solomon around the 10th century B.C.E.
This First Wall's impressively robust 16 feet of thickness was found intact, but its current height indicates that the wall was systematically and deliberately dismantled.
“There is much more to this wall than meets the eye,” Re'im and Zindel wrote. “It is clear that it was systematically destroyed and razed to the ground. This is predetermined destruction—not the result of the ravages of time, nor of a random enemy attack, but a deliberate execution of a well-planned action. This raised questions about who was responsible for the wall's destruction.”
The scholars offer two theories. One hypothesis presents the idea that the Hasmoneans themselves eliminated the wall as part of an agreement with Antiochus VII Sidetes. This Antiochus, an heir of the Antiochus known from the Hanukkah stories, required that fortification of the city removed as part of a peace agreement reached by the Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus I. This may have necessitated the dismantling of the First Wall.
During the 1980s, excavations near the site of the new discovery uncovered a large Hellenistic-period cache of hundreds of catapult stones, arrowheads, slingshots, and lead bullets. The Israel Antiquities Authority calls this clear evidence of a siege by Antiochus VII, even if the stash discovered was blocked by the wall at the time.
But there is a second theory of destruction—one that rests the blame on King Herod. The Roman-appointed ruler was well-known for destroying Jewish buildings in his bid to become a king over the Jews, and systematically removing the First Wall would have fit with his intentions, according to Re'im and Zindel.
“This segment of Jerusalem's ancient city wall uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority is tangible and moving evidence of Jerusalem's might and stature during the Hasmonean period,” Amichai Eliyahu, Israeli minister of heritage, said in a statement. “The archaeological discoveries allow us to connect to the historical continuity that binds us—generations of Jews, to Jerusalem, and demonstrates and exhibits our proud heritage to the world. It is exciting to see how the stories of Hanukkah are coming to life on the ground.”
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Tim Newcomb is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. He covers stadiums, sneakers, gear, infrastructure, and more for a variety of publications, including Popular Mechanics. His favorite interviews have included sit-downs with Roger Federer in Switzerland, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and Tinker Hatfield in Portland.
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December 29, 2025
5 min read
Russia Quietly Changed Its Space Station Plans. Here's What That Means
The proposed Russian Orbital Station will stick to a familiar path instead of an ambitious polar orbit
By Ilya Ferapontov edited by Clara Moskowitz
Russia's Nauka multipurpose laboratory module (MLM) on the International Space Station.
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The International Space Station (ISS) is due to close down by 2030, and Russia, one of its main partners, is designing its own replacement orbital laboratory. After a decade of planning to place its future space station into a high-latitude polar orbit for Arctic observation, Russian authorities have changed their minds. Instead the Russians have decided to stick with the familiar ISS orbit—the same 51.6-degree inclination used by the Soviet Mir space station nearly 40 years ago.
The decision goes beyond a routine adjustment to flight plans. It will shape the architecture of Russia's space program for decades to come, determining the type of modules used to build the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), the launch vehicles and spaceports that will be used, and the structure of the country's future space economy. Roscosmos officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The head of Roscosmos framed the shift as a step toward future space cooperation with India. “We are building our own national orbital station, and India is building its own,” Roscosmos general director Dmitry Bakanov said during a visit to New Delhi, according to Russian news source RBC. India has announced plans to launch the first part of its Bharatiya Antariksh Station in 2028. “We are negotiating to place them in the same orbital plane.”
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Experts, however, are skeptical that alignment with India played more than a rhetorical role. “This decision is entirely understandable given the political and economic realities, says Dmitry Payson, a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, who was formerly associated with the Russian space sector. Placing the future station in the same orbit as the ISS is far less expensive, and requires fewer manufacturing and design innovations, than aiming for a polar orbit. “Compatibility with India in terms of inclination became a conveniently timed additional justification for a decision driven by different considerations,” Payson says.
Sticking with the same orbit will allow Roscosmos to reuse designs and technology from ISS and its existing Soyuz spacecraft, he adds. The result is a station architecture that looks less like a step forward than a return nearly 40 years back to the Mir era.
A polar orbit that passes over both of Earth's poles remains a rarity in human spaceflight. So far, the only crewed mission to reach such an orbit was the privately funded Fram2 flight on the SpaceX Dragon capsule in April 2025.
In December 2014 Oleg Ostapenko, then head of Roscosmos, said the agency was considering a high-latitude station that would allow observation of most of Russia's territory and could potentially serve as a staging ground for future lunar missions.
Early concepts also envisioned a suite of novel components, including the OKA-T autonomous module for ultrasensitive materials science experiments and an expandable module—Russia's counterpart to the ISS's BEAM—equipped with a centrifuge. The station was repeatedly described as a test bed for prospective elements of lunar infrastructure.
By 2021 much of that future-facing vision had faded. Officials decided to orient the station around the Science Power Module (NEM), whose hull was already sitting on the factory floor of Russian aerospace manufacturer RKK Energia. Originally planned for the ISS to reduce the Russian segment's dependence on U.S. power, but still incomplete, NEM was a problematic choice as the core of an independent station.
The module lacked control moment gyros for attitude control and had only a single docking port, leaving no place for a cargo spacecraft to attach while a crew was on board. Additional docking hardware and follow-on modules would have to be sent up before even a minimal crew could visit.
The module would also have needed extensive reworking, including the addition of basic crew systems such as a toilet and a main computer, to turn what was essentially a power plant and laboratory into a functional control center and living space.
Launch plans only compounded the problem. NEM was to be sent into a polar orbit aboard the Angara-A5M rocket—a variant that has yet to fly—from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which at the time lacked a launch pad for Angara.
These constraints ultimately pushed the polar orbit station project to a dead end, says military and space analyst Pavel Luzin, a senior fellow at the Saratoga Foundation. “NEM appears impossible to redesign into the core of a future station,” Luzin says. “Even if basic crew systems can be added, there would be little room left for scientific payloads—it would essentially become an enlarged spacecraft.”
The switch to a 51.6-degree orbit resolved many of the project's challenges. The new station gets a starter module for free—one of the components of the Russian segment of ISS, called the MLM Nauka module, which is already in orbit and fully equipped for a crew. And there would be no need to upgrade the Vostochny launch pad because crewed launches could rely on proven Soyuz spacecraft from the fully equipped Baikonur Cosmodrome. NEM would retain its original role as a science-and-power module and could be launched aboard the reliable Proton-M rocket.
Plans to deploy the rest of the station are detailed in internal RKK Energia documents obtained by Scientific American. The sequence begins with the controlled deorbit of the “UM” docking and utility node module from Nauka. In late 2028 a nearly identical Universal Node Module (UUM) will be launched from Baikonur and attached to Nauka. At the same time, the ISS will be gradually lowering its orbit for its planned crash into the Pacific Ocean.
In 2029 NEM will be launched aboard a Proton rocket from Baikonur and docked to the UUM's lower port. An airlock module, ShM, will follow in 2030, attaching to the side port.
Once assembled, the ROS will detach from the rest of ISS, which will have served as a building berth for its Russian “successor.” The new Russian station will then fly independently, with its attitude and orbit controlled by two specially modified Progress cargo spacecraft docked for that purpose.
Even these streamlined plans, however, will require substantial work to make the ROS operate independently. The relatively new Nauka module, launched in 2021, already needs repairs, including a fix to its leaking cooling system. All tasks must be completed before June 2030, when the ISS is expected to begin a rapid descent. There may be a gap before Russian cosmonauts can visit the new station.
“I believe Russia faces, at the very least, a hiatus in its crewed spaceflight program,” Luzin says. “Although it has long sought partners to join the ROS project, no visible progress has been made.”
Ilya Ferapontov is a science journalist based in Russia.
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Nature Communications
volume 16, Article number: 11342 (2025)
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The differentiation potency of cells is governed by dynamic changes in gene expression, which can be inferred from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. While velocity-based approaches have been used to analyze cell state changes as vector fields, extracting acceleration (change of change) information remains challenging because of the sparsity and high-dimensionality of the data. Here, we develop ddHodge, a framework based on Hodge decomposition for precise vector-field reconstruction. ddHodge accurately recovers all basic components of the vector field, namely, the gradient, curl, and divergence, including the acceleration of the cell state, as second-order derivatives, even from biased and sparse samples. Furthermore, we extend the method to approximate high-dimensional gene expression dynamics on lower-dimensional data manifolds. By applying ddHodge to scRNA-seq data from mouse embryogenesis, we reveal that the gene expression dynamics during development follow a gradient system shaped by potential landscapes, which has not previously been validated with real data. Furthermore, we quantify differentiation potency as cell state stability on the basis of the divergence and identify key genes that drive potency. Our general computational framework for analyzing complex biological systems can elucidate cell fate decisions in developmental processes.
The dynamics of cell states, namely, the temporal changes in cell states, underpin all biological phenomena, including development, regeneration, differentiation, and pathology. One of the primary goals of life sciences is to understand these cell state dynamics. However, these dynamics represent a high-dimensional, multibody system involving interactions among tens of thousands of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipid molecules, constituting a complex, nonequilibrium system1,2. Consequently, traditional hypothesis-driven approaches have focused on small subsystems formed by the interactions among the molecules of interest, creating building blocks for understanding the whole system. Recent advancements in single-cell omics3,4,5,6 have enabled comprehensive evaluations of cell states represented by all gene expression profiles, which could allow a data-driven understanding of complex cell state dynamics. However, single-cell measurement techniques are invasive, and the resulting data are static, lacking temporal changes for each cell. Therefore, pseudotime analysis techniques7,8,9 have been employed to construct temporal information based on of large-scale static snapshot data to analyze gene expression dynamics. Nevertheless, conventional pseudotime analysis methods provide only an order of time, and the speed and acceleration/deceleration cannot be evaluated, making it challenging to analyze detailed dynamics, including the stability of states that represent sensitivity of gene expression responses to perturbations, as well as more diverse types of state changes.
Therefore, RNA velocity10,11 has frequently been used to trace changes in cell states as trajectories in gene expression space by utilizing the time derivative of the gene expression (velocity) of each cell. Based on this time-derivative inference approach involving gene expression data, methods for reverse engineering these dynamics (vector-field reconstruction) have been proposed, allowing analyses of the interactions among genes that drive local dynamics and the least action paths of the cell state12. However, owing to the lack of a sufficient theoretical foundation to ensure accurate reconstruction of vector fields on the basis of high-dimensional data, a methodology for precisely reconstructing cell state dynamics, appropriately summarizing the dynamics occurring in high-dimensional space, and evaluating the stability of each cell state has yet to be developed.
Here, we developed a high-dimensional dynamics analysis framework called ddHodge. Our framework is based on the mathematical theorem of Hodge decomposition, which provides the three fundamental components of vector fields on manifolds13,14. ddHodge offers a unified perspective on the problem of high-dimensional vector-field reconstruction on manifold and provides a practical method to precisely reconstruct dynamics in unprecedented detail. Through simulations and validation using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, we demonstrated that ddHodge can provide a summary of the overall unknown high-dimensional dynamics and identify genes associated with fate determination by affecting the stability of cell states.
The cell states represented by each data point are generated from an unknown differential equation system F(x, y) (Fig. 1A, left). These states are pairs of observed positions (x, y) and their corresponding velocities F(x, y). Each velocity is given as the gradient of an unknown potential function U. The magnitude of the potential value at each point reflects the temporal ordering of the cell states (Fig. 1A, middle). The convex region in the potential landscape, indicates the stability of states that are diversifying; branching is likely to occur, and the concave region is considered to be converged; the cell states adopt specific lineages (Fig. 1A, right). Therefore, the shape of the potential landscape is a critical indicator of dynamics. Here, we used a 2D gradient system as an illustrative example to explain the interpretation of potential. Note that gradient systems are the special cases where vector fields are represented solely by the gradients of a scalar function, and only the potential determines the dynamics. Generally, dynamics are non-gradient systems.
A Shape of the landscape: The local shape of the landscape represents the local dynamics of cell states. The underlying dynamics of the cell state generates single-cell data (left), and the dynamics are represented by a potential landscape (middle). The shape of the landscape indicates the type of change in the cell state, such as diversification or convergence (right). A negative divergence (concave shape) indicates a stable state change in which velocities converge toward the center. A positive divergence (convex shape) indicates an unstable state change in which the cell state trajectories become more diverse. A divergence of zero (flat shape) indicates a change that occurs at a constant speed (i.e., no acceleration or deceleration). B Complex dynamics in high-dimensional space (left) contain both rotational and gradient components, shown here, consist of spiral source (S1) and sink (S2) components. After sampling scRNA-seq data, conventional approaches using nonlinear dimensionality reduction (UMAP) and velocity embedding lose geometric information, distorting the original dynamics. The split-and-conquer strategy of ddHodge better represents the resulting 2D representation. This manifold-aware approach maintains the integrity of the original dynamical structure. C ddHodge strategy: Reconstruct dynamics in the low-dimensional tangent space patches and combine these patches smoothly. The low-dimensional tangent spaces at each data point are estimated using a local PCA approach. A complete description of the vector field (components of Hodge decomposition: grad, div, and curl) is reconstructed smoothly along the near-parallel coordinate system designed in the curved space of the data manifold (the details are provided in the Methods). D ddHodge provides rich information about high-dimensional dynamics: the stability of states (Divergence), the best section to visualize (Schur vector), and the changes of involved genes (Grassmann).
Reconstructing cell state dynamics after nonlinear dimensionality reduction involving data deformation is a considerably difficult problem15,16,17. Nevertheless, nonlinear dimensionality reduction is useful for visualization. We set the original high-dimensional (3D) dynamical system to have a region of instability (S1) with a large positive divergence and a region of stability (S2) with a large negative divergence (Fig. 1B, left). However, in commonly used nonlinear dimensionality reduction methods such as UMAP18, the density of the data points in original space is equalized in the reduced space; as a result, geometric features such as length and volume are lost. This deformation affects the landscape shape, making it difficult to identify regions S1 and S2 existed in the original space (Fig. 1B, right). Additionally, the velocity embedding approach10,15 used for visualizing velocity information can misrepresent dynamics by embedding high-dimensional velocity data with neighboring data points in the reduced space, potentially presenting nonexistent closed trajectories at the data boundaries. Hu et al. also showed that trajectories on cylindrical manifolds—formed by combining circular cell cycles trajectory with straight path trajectory—lose essential geometric information under nonlinear dimensionality reduction, which makes appropriate dynamical interpretation difficult19.
To address the challenge of reconstructing high-dimensional dynamics, we propose a combination of two approaches. First, we introduce a high-precision vector-field reconstruction method based on Hodge decomposition. A vector field on a manifold can be decomposed into three independent components: a gradient with divergence, a divergence-free rotational component, and a harmonic component as the residual (Hodge decomposition). The goal is to completely reconstruct these three components. Next, to make this method applicable in high-dimensional spaces, we consider approximating the Hodge components on a low-dimensional manifold (Fig. 1C; dimensionality reduction preserving data geometry). By using local principal component analysis (PCA) to approximate tangent spaces20 and patchworking these spaces, we build a low-dimensional curved space embedded in the high-dimensional space (hereafter referred to as the data manifold) (Fig. 1C, left). During the reconstruction process, we smooth the estimated values along the curved axes on the data manifold to compensate for noise and sample size limitations (Fig. 1C, top), enabling the reconstruction of the potential, divergence, and curl in high dimensions (Fig. 1C, bottom).
We implemented this framework as ddHodge.
ddHodge allows us to evaluate the temporal order and stability of data points on the basis of the potential and divergence, respectively. The periodic and oscillatory behavior of dynamic processes, such as the cell cycle and circadian rhythms, can be evaluated using the curl and harmonic components, independent of the gradient component. Even after dimensionality reduction, the Grassmann distance (the degree of bending when tangent spaces are patchworked) allows us to identify the timing of significant changes of dimensions (genes). The Jacobian matrix reconstructed on the data manifold can be used to select cross-sections of the gene expression space via Schur decomposition, where the trajectories undergo significant changes. By extracting and visualizing these rich dynamic indicators (Fig. 1D), we can identify genes associated with the diversification and convergence of dynamic cell states.
We evaluated the performance of ddHodge with synthetic data (Fig. 2). The evaluation metric was the mean squared error (MSE) between the theoretical values of the predefined potential U(x, y) and the reconstructed values. Additionally, we assessed the ability of ddHodge to reconstruct the shape of the potential landscape (divergence) and compared it with that of conventional methods.
A Workflow of the simulation validation approach. We used the nonlinear system F(x, y), which is completely determined by the gradient of a predefined potential U(x, y) in a low-dimensional flat plane (2D Euclidean space) (left). The initial values were set around the highest potential peak (2nd to 3rd panels). Using 100 data points sampled after random time intervals from 0 to 4 seconds (3rd to 4th panels), the potential values were reconstructed (right). B Recovering the shape of the landscape: The local shape of the landscape (Hessian matrix of U) can be recovered from the 2nd derivative of the piecewise quadratic functions fitted along the paths of the points to the k-nearest neighbors. These two landscapes (middle column, top and bottom rows) have different shapes with the same potential values. The flat shape with zero divergence (top-right) indicates constant changes of states, whereas the bumpy shape with large positive and negative divergence (bottom-right) indicates unstable states. C Comparison with the DEC method in terms of the divergence reconstruction performance: DEC with Delaunay triangular mesh vs. ddHodge with a k-NN graph. The yellow arrowheads at the sampling boundaries indicate the marked difference in the divergence estimated by the DEC and ddHodge methods. D Direct comparison of the performance of the two methods: The x-axis is the predicted value of the divergence by the DEC and ddHodge methods. The y-axis is the analytical (true) divergence of F(x, y). The yellow marker indicates the estimated values at the arrowhead on the left side of Fig. 2C. E Toggle-switch model: A nonlinear mathematical model of cell differentiation for generating multistable states is visualized with streamline plots. F ddHodge produces substantially more accurate reconstruction results than does Dynamo: the divergence, curl, and Jacobian (detJ) results obtained using Dynamo and ddHodge are shown. G Accurate recovery of the Jacobian matrix elements with ddHodge. Each panel indicates the estimated value of the Jacobian matrix elements (J11 J12 and J21 J22).
To evaluate the performance of ddHodge in reconstructing dynamic information without dimensionality reduction, we conducted simulations of a dynamical system in which the trajectory of each point on a 2D plane was determined solely by the gradient of the potential U, defined as F(x, y) = −∇U(x, y) (Fig. 2A, 1st and 2nd panels, Methods). We randomly initialized points near the peak of the potential in the lower left region and simulated their trajectories for random durations between 0-4 seconds, obtaining 100 pairs of position and velocity data (Fig. 2A, 3rd and 4th panels). When ddHodge was applied to estimate the potential via the least squares method introduced in HodgeRank13, the reconstructed values agreed well with the theoretical values (Fig. 2A, 5th panel; MSE: 0.001). This result demonstrates that the proposed method can provide high-precision potential reconstruction results even with small datasets and partial sampling of data points.
We next leveraged the geometric interpretation of the estimated potential to reconstruct the shape of the potential landscape. We viewed the least squares potential estimation method as fitting a piecewise quadratic function to the edges of a graph with given slopes at the ends (Supplementary Notes). This approach can be extended to estimate the shape of the potential function (the Hessian matrix H of U). The shape is approximated by collecting fitted piecewise quadratic functions of each cross-section to the neighboring vertex (Fig. 2B, Methods). The shape of the potential indicates whether the cell state traverses the landscape at a constant speed (flat slope; upper case in Fig. 2B) or experiences acceleration, deceleration, or passes through branching points (changing slope; lower case in Fig. 2B).
Next, we verified the reliability of ddHodge's results. We compared the divergence reconstruction performance of ddHodge with that of the discrete exterior calculus (DEC) method21,22, which can be realized as a type of finite element method (FEM), a well-established numerical analysis method (Fig. 2C). The results showed that ddHodge achieved a reconstruction accuracy comparable to or better than that of the DEC method, even when the data boundary, where the DEC method had lower reproducibility, was excluded (yellow triangles in Fig. 2C, D) (Fig. 2D, DEC: MSE = 0.502, ddHodge: MSE = 0.026).
Next, to evaluate the reconstruction performance of ddHodge, we compared ddHodge with Dynamo, which has similar vector-field reconstruction capabilities. In this comparison, we used simulation data from the toggle-switch model, a 2D nonlinear differential equation model (Fig. 2E). We compared the reconstruction results of the two methods using N = 5000 uniformly sampled pairs of position (x, y) and velocity F(x, y) data from the toggle-switch model12. The curl was reconstructed using the ddHodge's divergence of the dual velocity fields (Methods, Supplementary Notes). The results showed that ddHodge significantly outperformed Dynamo in all metrics: the divergence (ddHodge vs. Dynamo: 0.0027 vs. 0.1142), curl (0.0027 vs. 0.0742), and Jacobian (0.0051 vs. 0.1050) (Fig. 2F).
The vector-field reconstruction function in Dynamo, utilizing SparseVFC23, is based on the theory of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS). In the context of numerical analysis, as explained in the comparison of DEC and ddHodge, this kernel method can also be viewed as a variant of the numerical method. Specifically, this is a variant of the Galerkin method that utilizes radial basis functions, which applies to higher dimensions. Hence, we further verified whether both could achieve equivalent reconstruction performance in terms of the numerical method with appropriate parameter settings. We thus anticipated that increasing the number of kernel basis functions (parameter M) in SparseVFC would improve accuracy. By varying M in the 2D toggle-switch model simulation, we confirmed that Dynamo's reconstruction accuracy is comparable to ddHodge's around M = 1000 (Supplementary Figure S1). In contrast, ddHodge retained advantages in computational efficiency and exhibited a scaling law with respect to the sampling density (cell number), owing to its use of sparse matrices derived from the local k-nearest-neighbor structure, combined with the efficient Krylov subspace solver.
We also evaluated the robustness of ddHodge to noise by varying the smoothing parameter λ and neighbor count k at different noise levels (SNR = 1000 to 10; see Supplementary Figure S2 and Methods for the definition of SNR). In high-noise environments (SNR = 10), increasing λ from 0.1 to 10.0 improved MSE from 22.3 to 1.27, and increasing k from 6 to 30 under the same conditions dramatically improved MSE from 1.27 to 0.23. These results suggest that increasing k is effective for noisy data.
Furthermore, the Jacobian matrix J can be reconstructed from the accurately reconstructed Hessian matrix and the curl (Methods, Supplementary Notes). We then evaluated the applicability of the proposed method for interaction analyses of gene pairs using J. The clear red and blue bands in the reconstruction results of each element of the Jacobian matrix (∂ẋ/∂x, ∂ẏ/∂x, ∂ẋ/∂y, and ∂ẏ/∂y where ẋ represents dx/dt) faithfully reproduced the regions that respond sensitively to perturbations in genes x and y (Fig. 2G).
These results demonstrate the ability of ddHodge to reconstruct unknown nonlinear dynamics with high accuracy and efficiency, even from partially sampled data.
Next, we aimed to develop a dimensionality reduction method suitable for high-dimensional dynamical systems (Fig. 1C, top). For example, the surface of a sphere in three dimensions can be represented as a collection of small two-dimensional planes (Fig. 3A, top). Based on this concept, we hypothesized that by reconstructing and stitching dynamics within local lower-dimensional spaces (tangent spaces) using a local PCA approach20, both dimensionality reduction and faithful reproductions of high-dimensional dynamics could be achieved while preserving the geometry of the data manifold. The number of parameters in the Hessian matrix estimation process is reduced to m2 < d2, where d is the number of genes and m is the dimension of the tangent spaces. We also considered smoothing (regularization) along the curved axes on the data manifold. In the smoothing process, the axes of adjacent tangent spaces should be matched (Fig. 3A, middle; xu and xv, yu and yv); therefore, using idea of parallel transport in differential geometry20,24,25, we developed a method for designing near-parallel coordinate axes for high-dimensional data using a discrete connection Laplacian (sheaf Laplacian)25,26,27,28 (Fig. 3A, bottom; Supplementary Notes).
A Designing near-parallel coordinates on curved spaces: The surface of a sphere, as an example of a curved 2D space embedded in 3D, is represented by small patches of flat tangent planes (top). The arrows (local x- and y-axes, xu and yu) to the adjacent tangent planes involves the problem of parallel transport (middle). The solution is to find the minimum eigenvalue of a sheaf Laplacian (bottom). B Near-parallel coordinates on a sphere: A triangulated spherical mesh is used as the input graph. The eigenvalues of the sheaf Laplacian reveal the degrees of freedom in designing near-parallel axes. The insets show two examples of designed near-parallel coordinates. C Near-perfect reconstruction of dynamics on a sphere: Scatter plot of N = 2000 random points comparing the reconstructed (horizontal) and analytical (vertical) values of the potential, divergence, and curl on a sphere. The insets show the analytical values, with the peaks of the potential and divergence on the west and east sides and the peaks of the curl on the north and south sides. D Sampling scheme from the Lorenz system: N = 2000 points and velocities sampled at random intervals from 0 to 5 s, starting from a random initial point. E Lower-dimensional representation of Lorenz system: The dynamic indices (potential, curl, and divergence) reconstructed in estimated tangent planes via a local PCA approach, visualized on a global (i.e., including all sampled points) PCA plane. F Grassmann distance reveals hinge points: The distance indicates the folding angle when patching local PCA planes. G Schur decomposition: The section that highlights critical changes at a specified point is selected. The local dynamics can be approximated by the Jacobian matrix J. The rotating dynamics around x₀ (point with the highest curl) on the right side are highlighted by projecting the velocities onto the section spanned by Schur vectors SV1 and SV2.
First, we present a simple example of designing near-parallel coordinates on a sphere (Fig. 3B). We used the graph structure of a triangulated mesh as the input. By adopting the eigenvector corresponding to the smallest eigenvalue of the connection Laplacian of the input graph, we obtained a near-parallel axis that is consistent24,25 on the surface. We use the term ‘near'-parallel to indicate directions of movement close to parallel transport on curved space. Streamlines on the sphere trace the directions obtained from the eigenvector of the sheaf Laplacian. Singularities, the points that consolidate and resolve coordinate distortions across the entire sphere, appeared to be vortices24 (Fig. 3B right). The leftmost six identical eigenvalues indicate that the total amount of coordinate distortion remains unchanged, regardless of which vector in the 6-dimensional eigenspace is used to construct the axis. Furthermore, there was a gap29 in the spectrum of the eigenvalues from the 7th value onward, corresponding to the doubling of the number of visible vortices.
Next, using velocities sampled from the artificial dynamics simulated on a sphere (Methods), we reconstructed the dynamics with smoothing on the data manifold (Fig. 3C). The potential and divergence were reconstructed with peaks at the east and west ends of the sphere, and the curl was concentrated at the north and south ends, reproducing values approximately identical to the theoretical values (Fig. 3C; inset images, MSEs: 1.0 × 10−3, 4.0 × 10−4, and 1.0 × 10−3, respectively). We further verified the importance of the subspace alignment procedure using an asymmetric saddle-shaped potential example (Supplementary Figure S3). While smoothing results with unaligned axes significantly deviate from theoretical values of the Hessian matrix, subspace alignment using the sheaf Laplacian enables estimation that perfectly matches the theoretical values. These results indicate that both the unknown low-dimensional manifold and the dynamics on the manifold can be accurately recovered from the sampled data.
Next, we validated the interpretability of the lower-dimensional approximation of high-dimensional dynamics using the Lorenz system (Fig. 3D). The dynamics of the Lorenz system are characterized by trajectories that irregularly move between two disks in three-dimensional space. Therefore, we attempted to approximate the dynamics in the space of two joint planes as a data manifold and capture the characteristics of the original dynamics (Fig. 3E). As expected, the main characteristics of rotational behavior were identified by the positive (anticlockwise) and negative (clockwise) curl values on the left and right sides of this space. Additionally, the acceleration in the trajectory in the lower half of the space and deceleration in the upper half of the space were confirmed by the sign of the divergence value. In summary, as indicated by the smaller divergence values compared with the curl values, the dynamics of this system were considered dominated by rotations rather than gradients. Furthermore, the Grassmann distance was used to identify the planar region of the trajectory (cyan) and the hinge region at the center (magenta; points of dimensional change) (Fig. 3F).
The representative variables (genes) driving the dynamics can be identified by the Schur decomposition15,30 of the Jacobian matrix (Fig. 3G, left). Here, we used the ddHodge results in three dimensions without approximating the Lorenz system in 2D space (Fig. 3G, middle). As expected, prominent rotational dynamics were observed on the SV1-SV2 plane at the point at which the curl has its maximum value (Fig. 3G right). We also verified the accuracy of Jacobian matrix reconstruction in tangent space using the Lorenz system and a feedback-loop system (Supplementary Fig. S4). When the estimated tangent space lies within an invariant subspace of the true Jacobian matrix (i.e., when PCA well captures the tangent space), the reconstructed eigenvalues matched the theoretical ones (Supplementary Figure S4A–C). Despite information loss due to dimensionality reduction, qualitative consistency with the true Jacobian matrix will be maintained, demonstrating its applicability to gene interaction analysis (Supplementary Figure S4D–F). These results indicate that the Schur decomposition of the Jacobian matrix is effective for identifying the cross-section of the space containing the representative dynamics nearby specified point (in this example, the cross-section along the disk).
Before scRNA-seq data analysis, we conducted a 100-gene dynamics simulation based on the RNA velocity model31 to verify ddHodge's ability to detect changes in gene-expression dynamics (Supplementary Figure S5A-D). Note that, in standard scRNA-seq analysis, thousands of genes are reduced to less than 100 dimensions through PCA preprocessing, so ddHodge's local PCA approach naturally integrates with existing analysis workflows. By introducing cell-type–specific transcription-rate changes at \(t=3\) and \(t=7\), we simulated cell-type–dependent expression changes. Unlike the Lorenz example, this RNA-velocity simulation presents a difficult setting for ddHodge: because 100 genes evolve independently, no low-dimensional data manifold exists. Nevertheless, after low-dimensional approximation (\(r=4\)), decreases in potential and changes in divergence (Supplementary Figure S5C-D) captured transitions to equilibrium states, the presence of perturbations (rate changes), and points of fate diversification.
These results demonstrate the utility of ddHodge in inferring the behavior associated with the original dynamics, even in the approximate reconstruction of the high-dimensional dynamics.
Next, the scRNA-seq data were analyzed using ddHodge to quantify the potential, which represents the order of cell state transitions, and divergence, which reflects the stability of each cell state (Fig. 4A). In our analysis of scRNA-seq data, the following assumptions are adopted: (1) cells progress through state changes governed by an autonomous dynamical system, (2) both expression levels and velocity measurements are obtainable via existing methods, and (3) the resulting dynamics can be represented on a low-dimensional data manifold. These assumptions are widely used in existing RNA velocity and general scRNA-seq data analysis, including dimensionality reduction processes, and ddHodge operates faithfully within these constraints.
A scRNA-seq data analysis framework: ddHodge takes scRNA-seq data paired with velocity information (e.g., RNA velocity) as input (left). The recovered dynamic indices are overlaid on visualizations such as those obtained via UMAP (middle), providing a global view of high-dimensional dynamics through landscape representations. From this global view, cells of interest can be determined by the extracted dynamical indicators (right), allowing detailed investigation of specified regions (local view) in which gene expression state changes are prominent, as well as the genes involved. B Dynamical indicators extracted during mouse embryogenesis. In addition to clusters and embryonic stages, four dynamical indicators extracted by ddHodge are shown. VASA-seq data from mouse embryos from E6.5 to E9.5 were analyzed here. C The majority of the gene expression dynamic indicators can be explained by a potential landscape: The value of the gradient and the residual of the divergence-free (curl + harmonic) components of recovered dynamics data are shown. For comparison, the results of ddHodge based on the FUCCI dataset, which is expected to have a dominant cyclic component, are also shown. D Changes in the stability of the cell state during development: Box plots show the distribution of divergence values for each developmental stage (Q1, median and Q3; whiskers extend to 1.5 × IQR). The sample sizes (n) are 1,277, 7,134, 22,808 and 14,905 individual cells, respectively. The right image shows a canalization-type landscape, where cells transition from diversification (unstable) to convergence (stable). E Summarized dynamics of embryonic development using the height and shape of the potential: For each embryonic day, the vertical axis shows the potential, which indicates the temporal order of the state change, and the horizontal axis shows the divergence (axis is flipped), which represents the stability of the gene expression state. F Simplified landscape view of development: A potential-divergence plot of the surface ectoderm lineages extracted from (E), represented as thin lines. The inset shows the positions of the extracted clusters in the UMAP representation.
In this analysis, we focused on VASA-seq data, which provide highly accurate velocity information due to their high degree of intron coverage6. By leveraging this dataset, we attempted to elucidate the hierarchical differentiation sequence of cell populations and the changes in the stability of the cell state for each cell lineage during the embryogenesis.
The VASA-seq data contained N = 46,124 cells from mouse embryos in the stage of E6.5–9.5. Using the gene expression levels and RNA velocity as inputs, the components of the Hodge decomposition—potential, divergence, curl, and Grassmann distance—were reconstructed and mapped to a low-dimensional UMAP representation using different colors (Fig. 4B). We found that the Grassmann distance remained low across the dataset (median value: 0.43), while the reduced dimension was m = 4. The small Grassmann distance can be interpreted as indicating that the trajectory was confined to almost a flat space, meaning there were no significant changes in the utilized gene sets (dimensions). Conversely, if one finds hinge-like points as shown in the Lorenz system, it can be interpreted that there were points where the utilized gene groups changed significantly. This result suggests that the trajectories of the gene expression dynamics associated with embryonic development reside in a nearly four-dimensional manifold.
We also found a correlation between the potential value and developmental stage, i.e., the potential progressively decreases as development progresses, indicating its utility as a pseudotime indicator12 (Supplementary Figure S6). Similarly, the divergence became increasingly negative as development progressed. Notably, the value of the curl, which reflects cyclic/oscillatory dynamics such as those associated with the cell cycle, was substantially lower than that of the divergence. These findings suggest that the majority of the gene expression dynamics during embryogenesis can be described by a gradient system governed by a potential landscape.
To further confirm that the dynamics of embryogenesis is mainly driven by a gradient system, we quantified the proportion of cyclic or periodic components separated from the gradient component (Fig. 4C). In this dataset, the gradient component accounted for 88.2% of the gene expression dynamics, whereas the divergence-free cyclic component accounted for only 11.7% of the gene expression dynamics. In contrast, in the control dataset of FUCCI-labeled cells32, which specifically represents the progression of the cell cycle, the cyclic component accounted for 49.0% of the dynamics (Fig. 4C, magenta; Methods). In the FUCCI data, the cyclic component was dominant (Supplementary Figure S7A, B). In regions where the divergence-free flow dominates, potential cannot provide a faithful temporal ordering (Supplementary Figure S7C). For circular component visualization, subtracting the gradient component from edge weights reveals the distribution of curl and harmonic components, and we observed strong divergence-free components in the G2M region (Supplementary Figure S7D). These findings suggest that embryonic gene expression dynamics can be explained mainly by the potential rather than by periodic components such as the cell cycle. This underscores the importance of understanding the topography of the landscape to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of embryogenesis.
To further elucidate the biological significance of this divergence, we analyzed its changes over the course of embryogenesis (Fig. 4D). During the early stages (E6.5–E7.5), most cells exhibited positive divergence, indicating an undifferentiated and unstable (divergent) state. In contrast, from E8.5 to E9.5, the divergence values became increasingly negative, suggesting that the gene expression states of the cells tended to converge and stabilize as development progressed. This finding indicates that early embryonic cells exhibit a high degree of plasticity, which subsequently decreases as differentiation becomes more defined and cell states stabilize.
Thus, we attempted to describe the dynamics of embryogenesis using only the potential and divergence (Fig. 4E). The epiblast, which possesses pluripotency with high divergence, maintained its cellular identity with a shallow slope (gradient) between E6.5 and E7.5 but was no longer detectable after E8.5. In contrast, cell populations that had diverged into distinct lineages, including the splanchnic mesoderm, emerged beneath the epiblast from E7.5 onward and progressively descended along the landscape toward E9.5, differentiating into more stable cardiac and epithelial lineages. These findings suggest that we successfully visualized the fate decision process that occurs during development according to the height and shape of the potential landscape during gastrulation.
Next, we focused on the surface ectoderm lineage (Fig. 4F). The surface ectoderm, a nonneural ectoderm, gives rise to the epithelium and epidermis of sensory organs. Even at E8.5, pre-epidermal keratinocytes appeared at a higher positions in the plot (potential > 0.5) than the placodal area, suggesting that the epidermal lineage may be specified earlier than the epithelial lineage33. Furthermore, pre-epidermal keratinocytes and the otic epithelium exhibited stable cell states at E9.5, as indicated by the highly negative divergence values (approximately −0.01). In contrast, the divergence of the fusing epithelium, which exhibits gene expression characteristics associated with the amniotic ectoderm, remained close to zero, indicating that the cell state changed with a constant speed, which is a unique property of this type of cell.
Taken together, our results demonstrate that the developmental trajectory of the surface ectoderm lineage is consistent with a recent single-cell study of embryogenesis34,35. Moreover, we successfully quantified the potency of differentiation at each developmental stage using the potential and divergence.
As nonlinear dimensionality reduction is not performed in ddHodge, the genes that drive cell state changes can be tracked. We thus focused on individual points of interest (POIs) at which cell states undergo significant changes and investigated the local dynamics (Fig. 5).
A (Case 1) Stabilization of a cell state with a highly negative divergence in axon elongation: 2000 cells surrounding the selected spinal cord cells that had minimal negative divergence values in cluster 18, including the neuromesodermal progenitor (NMP) and forebrain/midbrain cell types, were selected (inset circle; enlarged image of the UMAP plot near the POI). From the Schur decomposition of the Jacobian matrix at the POI, the two dimensions (plane) with the minimal negative eigenvalues were determined. B The velocity of the 2000 selected cells projected onto the identified SV2–SV4 cross-section, along with the genes exhibiting significant changes within this plane, are shown. The cell-type annotation is shown for the top six cell types, and the numbers in parentheses indicate the number of cells in this plot. C (Case 2) Diversification of the cell state with a highly positive divergence in the amniochorionic mesoderm: 2000 cells surrounding amniochorionic mesoderm cells that had maximal positive divergence values in cluster 14, including allantois, extraembryonic mesoderm, and splanchnic mesoderm cell types, were selected. The two Schur vectors with the maximal positive eigenvalues were determined. D The velocity of the 2000 selected cells projected onto the identified SV1–SV3 cross-section, along with the genes exhibiting significant changes within this plane, are shown. The blue to red colors represents the sign (+/-) of divergence values.
To identify cells that become more stable, namely, those with negative divergence values, we selected the POI with the smallest divergence within cluster 18 (Fig. 5A, top right). The Schur decomposition of the Jacobian matrix obtained for this POI revealed a remarkable state change in the SV2-SV4 plane, corresponding to the largest negative eigenvalues. To determine the most related genes in this section, we identified candidate genes using the correlation coefficients between the divergence and gene expression levels for 1000 neighboring cells in the POI (Supplementary Figure S8). The velocities projected onto the SV2-SV4 planes demonstrated that the cell states converged and stabilized (negative divergence); furthermore, Pax6 expression was identified36 (Fig. 5B, Supplementary Fig. S8). Additionally, Nrcam and Robo2, which are genes related to axon guidance37, exhibited strong negative correlations with the divergence values, similar to Pax6, suggesting their involvement in the stabilization of cell states during axial elongation. In contrast, another cell population annotated as neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) expressing Cdx2 was positively correlated with divergence (Fig. 5B, top and bottom left panels, Supplementary Figure S8). Cdx2, which is regulated by multiple extracellular signals, has been reported to play a role in maintaining bipotent NMP populations38,39. These findings suggest that the mechanism maintaining undifferentiated NMPs may involve destabilization of cell states through Cdx2 expression. In summary, through this analysis, we identified several genes associated with the spinal cord lineage involved in regulating cell state stability.
To identify genes associated with cell state diversification, we selected another POI with the highest divergence from cluster 14 (Fig. 5C, top right). The neighboring cells of this POI primarily consisted of two amnion-like cell groups (annotated as A and B) (Fig. 5C, D). The Schur decomposition of the Jacobian matrix at the POI revealed two branches along the SV1 axis, with one group diverging to the right (A) and the other to the left (B). Since the loading vector of the Schur decomposition can be used to identify genes that are strongly associated with the selected axis (Supplementary Figure S9), we attempted to identify the genes with the highest weights in the loading vector. Ptch1 presented the highest loading value along the SV1 axis, suggesting the important role of this gene in A/B fate determination (Fig. 5D, top). Ptch1, the receptor of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), has been reported to be expressed in the allantois, leading to the arrest of the epithelial‒mesenchymal transition and the progression of morphogenesis40. Therefore, only group A, which expresses Ptch1, may undergo de-repression via Shh signaling and transition to a distinct cell state. Additionally, Slc2a1, which encodes a glucose transporter of Glut1, presented the highest loading value on the SV3 axis; however, its expression level increased with developmental progression in both A and B. In summary, this axis-based approach can provide a biological interpretation similar to that of PCA.
As an extra verification with real data, we applied ddHodge to a muscle regeneration dataset41. ddHodge-derived metrics can be visualized by coloring points on UMAP, focusing on muscle satellite-cell activation and muscle differentiation processes (Supplementary Figure S10A). High-divergence regions (red) were observed on the upper side of the MuSCs cluster, suggesting the need for a detailed analysis of presumable fate-bifurcation points. This high-divergence region was selected as a POI. Schur decomposition analysis was performed (Supplementary Figure S10B). By visualizing divergence values and velocity-vector projections on the SV1–SV2 plane, we succeeded in extracting the moment of fate-determination in asymmetric-division, which is composed of Myog (muscle-differentiation marker) and Cdkn1c (cell-cycle control) expression axes (Supplementary Figure S10C).
Furthermore, compared to ordinal differential gene expression (DEG) analysis aimed at detecting marker genes selectively expressed in each cluster, ddHodge has the characteristic of detecting genes that change rapidly (accelerate/decelerate or diverge/contraction) within clusters, so the importance scores of both do not necessarily match (Supplementary Figure S11). ddHodge's exploratory analysis using divergence as an indicator successfully captures the behavior of cellular state destabilization at this fate bifurcation point, that tend to be overlooked by conventional RNA velocity analysis and DEG analysis. In addition to divergence, other dynamical indicators calculated by ddHodge can be exported in anndata format, making it compatible with many single-cell data visualization tools (Supplementary Figure S12). This enables interactive POI selection considering biological context while confirming gene expression and cell-type annotations within each cell type.
Here, we developed ddHodge as a method for reconstructing the original vector field using pairs of sampling points and their velocities obtained from an unknown system. By utilizing RNA velocities as inputs, ddHodge extends the capabilities of existing methods by allowing evaluations of both the direction of cell state changes and the stability of each state, which indicates a potency of change, which has not previously been evaluated. We further confirmed that the majority of the gene expression dynamics in embryogenesis can be described as a gradient system (i.e., a potential landscape), which was previously unclear. Furthermore, we quantified the difficulty of lineage transitions from the divergence values, complementing traditional trajectory analyses of cell fate conceptualized by the epigenetic landscape. Additionally, we identified genes that influence the stability of the cell state.
In this study, we demonstrated that the potential and divergence reconstructed from RNA velocity data can serve as indicators for identifying points at which cell states converge and diversify. Furthermore, ddHodge can be used to extract cross-sections of high-dimensional space and identify key regulatory genes that govern local dynamics. Since this framework is general and requires only a weak assumption that the velocity is sampled from an autonomous system, ddHodge can be broadly applied to various types of velocity data, including chromatin velocity data, protein velocity data, time-resolved measurements of cellular positions, and even simulation data from theoretical models of high-dimensional dynamical systems. Notably, as evidenced by the constructed interpretations of the high-dimensional dynamic indicators in both the simulations with the Lorenz system and the application to the RNA velocity data, the approximated velocity field on the data manifold does not necessarily need to precisely capture the true underlying dynamics.
Many methods have been proposed for scRNA-seq dynamics analysis, each with different interests and goals42. Methods such as DeepVelo43 and GraphVelo44 primarily focus on improving the estimation or embedding of RNA velocity, with the explicit vector-field reconstruction falling within the scope of Dynamo and ddHodge. By contrast, Graph-Dynamo17 takes a different conceptual approach, modeling stochastic cellular-state dynamics governed by a Fokker–Planck equation, focusing on transition probabilities among metastable states and exit times. ddHodge performs component-wise and precise reconstruction of vector fields—potential, divergence, and curl–on manifold via Hodge decomposition in a DEC–like, structure-preserving manner. It further provides principled cross-sectional analysis in tangent space (via Schur decomposition) while ensuring geometry-preserving dimensional reduction.
Reconstructing a high-dimensional Jacobian that encodes all gene interactions is fundamentally impossible after dimensionality reduction. A similar limitation arises when the dynamics are intrinsically confined to a low-dimensional data manifold, such as the disk-like structures in the Lorenz and feedback-loop examples, because velocity components orthogonal to this low-dimensional structure are never observed. In these situations, just as after dimensionality reduction, the full ambient-space Jacobian cannot be identified by any method—including ddHodge or Dynamo—unless additional assumptions or biases are imposed on the unobserved directions. Given this intrinsic constraint, the meaningful object that remains accessible is the Jacobian restricted to the tangent space of the manifold. The Schur vectors of the tangent-space Jacobian can be interpreted as composite axes, analogous to PCA loading vectors. As illustrated in Fig. 5, this enables identification and interpretation of genes that drive fate transitions, including those exhibiting rapid expression changes.
ddHodge reconstructs the fundamental components of vector fields, including the potential, divergence, curl, and harmonic by overcoming several difficulties associated with analyses performed in high-dimensional spaces. For example, in the DEC method, these difficulties include constructing the mesh, evaluating areas and volumes, which are required to determine the densities and constructing discrete Hodge stars21,22. With our approach, we could accurately estimate the divergence by applying previously intractable numerical analysis methods to higher-dimensional spaces without considering boundary conditions. Additionally, we developed a method for estimating the curl in spaces of three or more dimensions. To address concerns regarding the reliability of the results due to noise and limited sample sizes—challenges inherent in data analysis—we incorporated a dedicated smoothing strategy in ddHodge. However, due to computational constraints, we have not yet produced a strict reconstruction of the curl component with ddHodge; instead, an approximation strategy that recovers the rotational features only within the PC1-2 plane is employed in the current version of ddHodge.
We observed regions that exhibited higher curl values in the mouse gastrulation data, specifically in areas associated with hematopoietic processes. These regions may represent dynamics like strong perturbation components orthogonal to the gradient direction, rather than gentle periodic/cyclical dynamics. In this paper, we did not focus on the interpretation of strong curl components. However, in the future, we need to pursue a deeper biological interpretation, as well as a complete reconstruction of the curl components. Further interpretation of divergence-free periodic components may be feasible by developing efficient methods for computing curl by Hodge duals in high-dimensional spaces and establishing appropriate interpretative frameworks, such as optimal cycles45, to obtain a succinct representation of the harmonic components in higher-dimensional spaces.
Owing to its scalability to high-dimensional data without the need for mesh construction, this method has potential as a tool for supporting data analysis involving high-dimensional complex dynamic systems. The remaining fundamental challenges are interpretating the recovered dynamic indicators in the context of existing knowledge and experimentally validating the proposed method.
This section outlines the ddHodge workflow. Detailed explanations and illustrations are provided in the Supplemental Notes. We assume that the input data consist of \(d\)-dimensional points \({{\mathcal{X}}}=\{{{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{1},{{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{2},\ldots,{{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{N}\}\) and their corresponding velocities \({{\mathcal{V}}}=\{{{{\boldsymbol{v}}}}_{1},{{{\boldsymbol{v}}}}_{2},\ldots,{{{\boldsymbol{v}}}}_{N}\}\). Additionally, a \(k\)-nearest neighbors (k-NN) graph \({{\mathcal{G}}}=\left(V,E\right)\) is constructed from \({{\mathcal{X}}}\).
First, PCA is performed using the \(k\)-nearest neighbors of each point \({{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{i}\) to obtain the orthonormal basis \(\{{{{\boldsymbol{o}}}}_{1}^{i},{{{\boldsymbol{o}}}}_{2}^{i},\ldots,{{{\boldsymbol{o}}}}_{r}^{i}\}\) of the tangent vector space \({T}_{i}{{\mathcal{M}}}\), where \(r\le k\). Since the tangent spaces of neighboring vertices generally have different subspaces, we construct a discrete connection Laplacian \({\Delta }_{s}\) using sheaves on graphs to align the local coordinates within the tangent spaces. The alignment is performed by minimizing the following loss function \(L\) over the set of tangent vectors \({{{\boldsymbol{z}}}}_{i}\in {T}_{i}{{\mathcal{M}}}\):
where \({{\boldsymbol{z}}}\) is the vector formed by stacking \({{{\boldsymbol{z}}}}_{1},{{{\boldsymbol{z}}}}_{2},\ldots,{{{\boldsymbol{z}}}}_{N}\) vertically. The matrices \({\widetilde{O}}_{i}\) and \({\widetilde{O}}_{j}\) are obtained from the singular value decomposition \({O}_{i}^{\top }{O}_{j}=U\varSigma {V}^{{\top }}\), where \({O}_{i}=\left[{{{\boldsymbol{o}}}}_{1}^{i}{{{\boldsymbol{o}}}}_{2}^{i}\cdots {{{\boldsymbol{o}}}}_{r}^{i}\right]\), and \({\widetilde{O}}_{i}={U}^{{\top }}\), \({\widetilde{O}}_{j}={V}^{{{\top }}}\).
The eigenvector associated with the minimum eigenvalue of \({\Delta }_{s}\) is the minimizer of \(L\).
The potential \({{\boldsymbol{u}}}\in {{\mathbb{R}}}^{N}\) corresponding to the gradient component of the vector field is estimated using the gradient operator \({\delta }_{0}={{\rm{grad}}}\), which is an \(M\times N\) matrix, and the edge weights \({{\boldsymbol{w}}}\in {{\mathbb{R}}}^{M}\) of graph \({{\mathcal{G}}}\). The estimation is performed via the least squares method as follows:
where \(N\) and \(M\) represent the number of vertices and edges in \({{\mathcal{G}}}\), respectively. In this study, the edge weights \({w}_{\left(i,j\right)}\) are defined as:
In this definition, the integral of the flux is approximated along the edge direction and is equivalent to fitting a quadratic function to the cross-section of potential function \(U\) (see Supplementary Notes for more details).
For a point \({{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{i}\), let \({{\boldsymbol{\eta }}}={{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{j}-{{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{i}\) be the vector indicating the direction from this point to a neighboring point \({{{\boldsymbol{x}}}}_{j}\). The second-order directional differential coefficient of the fitted quadratic function is given by:
The Hessian matrix \(H\) in the original coordinate system can be obtained via a quadratic form. For example, in two dimensions of x-y plane, the relationship is expressed as:
By gathering the known second-order differential coefficients such as \({U}_{\eta \eta }\) in independent directions \({\bf{\varphi}},{\boldsymbol{\psi}},\ldots\), the linear equation can be constructed to estimate the elements of \(H\).
We denote the above equation as \(C{{\boldsymbol{\beta }}}={{\boldsymbol{y}}}\). The divergence is obtained from \(-{{\rm{tr}}}H\) after estimating \(H\). In practice, the problem is better solved as an optimization problem \({\min }_{{{\boldsymbol{\beta }}}}\parallel C{{\boldsymbol{\beta }}}-{{\boldsymbol{y}}}{\parallel }^{2}\) to mitigate issues in data analysis, such as those related to noise and the limited sample size. Additionally, since the number of Hessian matrix elements (number of estimated parameters) increases on the order of \({d}^{2}\), the Hessian matrix is estimated in the reduced-dimensional space.
To enable the regularization of the estimation process between neighboring vertices, we merged the individual Hessian matrix estimation problems as a single linear equation:
This allows us to introduce a penalty (Dirichlet energy on the graph) to the squares of the differences \({{{\boldsymbol{\beta }}}}_{i}-{{{\boldsymbol{\beta }}}}_{j}\) between adjacent vertices as:
Here, assume that the \(p\) parameters are arranged in a certain order as \({{{\boldsymbol{\beta }}}}_{i}=\left({U}_{{xx}}^{i},{U}_{{xy}}^{i},{U}_{{yy}}^{i}\right)\), such that the differences between each parameter can be individually evaluated using the extended gradient matrix \({D}_{0}={\delta }_{0}\otimes {I}_{p}\) with the Kronecker product and \({L}_{0}={D}_{0}^{{{\top }}}{D}_{0}\).
The optimization problem with this regularization term is then solved as:
with some small constant \(\lambda > 0\).
Given the large \({Np}\times {Np}\) size of the sparse matrix \({L}_{0}\), efficient solvers such as the Krylov subspace method are recommended.
For differential forms in the Euclidean space \({{\mathbb{R}}}^{2}\), the relationship between \({{\rm{div}}}\) and \({{\rm{curl}}}\) is given by:
where \(d\) is the exterior derivative and \(\star\) is the Hodge star operator. Therefore, the curl can be approximated by the divergence of the dual vector field \(\star \xi\), which is obtained by rotating the velocity by \(\pi /2\) in the PC1-2 plane.
According to the theory of Hodge decomposition, a vector field can be expressed as the sum of a gradient part \(-\nabla U\) and a divergence-free residual part \(r\):
Here, let \(D\) be the operator that gives the Jacobian matrix of \(f\). Since \(D\) is linear and \(D\nabla U\) gives the Hessian matrix \(H\) of \(U\), \(D\left(f\right)\) has the following decomposition:
If \(r\) consists of only rotational components (i.e., there are no holes in the space), \(D\left(r\right)\) can be expressed using the matrix \(Q\), representing a \(\pi /2\) rotation in the PC1-2 plane, as \(D\left(r\right)=\frac{\theta }{2}Q\). Here, \(\theta\) is the magnitude of the rotation, which is calculated from the previously derived \({{\rm{curl}}}\).
ddHodge was implemented in Julia, a high-performance scientific programming language. The computation time depends on the number of analyzed cells and the dimensionality of the components after the reduction process is performed. The most computationally intensive parts are computing eigenvalues and solving least-squares problems with large sparse matrices. To optimize these calculations, we employ the Krylov subspace method (KrylovKit.jl), which efficiently handles sparse matrices by leveraging repeated matrix‒vector multiplication operations. With GPU acceleration (we used NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB), the computation takes approximately 35 seconds for 46,124 cells with the parameter: k = 12 of k-NN graph and r = 4 of reduced dimension, and approximately 2 minutes for another dataset with 98,316 cells with the same parameter (Figs. 4–5).
To create a gradient system in a 2D plane, we use the Gaussian function as follows:
We constructed a potential function with peaks and valleys as follows:
Using this potential function, we simulate the differential equation \({{\boldsymbol{F}}}\left(x,y\right)=-\nabla U\left(x,y\right)\). The simulation is performed by adding noise (Gaussian noise with a standard deviation of 0.2) to the initial positions at the center of the potential peak and running random simulations for 0 to 4 s using the Runge–Kutta method. We sampled \(N=100\) points and their velocities.
The toggle-switch model is defined by the following set of differential equations:
The parameters are set to \({K}_{1}={K}_{2}=1/2,n=4\), and \({a}_{1}={a}_{2}={b}_{1}={b}_{2}=1\). The same simulation result from Dynamo's paper was reproduced by following the instructions at the following link: https://github.com/aristoteleo/dynamo_submission.
The Lorenz system is defined by the following set of differential equations:
The parameters are set to \(\sigma=10\), \(\rho=28\), and \(\beta=8/3\). The simulation is performed by initializing \(\left(x,y,z\right)=\left(10,10,10\right)\) with added Gaussian noise \(N\left(3,0\right)\) and sampling points after a random time \(T\), which was generated from a uniform distribution \(T\sim U\left(0.5,5\right)\).
We consider RNA-velocity data with scaled degradation rate \(\widetilde{\gamma }=\gamma /\beta=1.0\). Such a condition emulates a scenario in which the steady states lie on the diagonal \({u}_{s}={s}_{s}\) in the spliced–unspliced plane (i.e., the ratio of spliced to unspliced counts is 1:1). We generated a proxy for the unspliced count \(u=\widetilde{\gamma }s+v\) because \({ds}/{dt}\propto v=u-\widetilde{\gamma }s\), where \(v\) is the (scaled) velocity. To set the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), we fixed the signal scale at \({\sigma }_{s}=1.0\) so that the sampled region \([0,4]\times [0,4]\) in the toggle-switch simulation is nearly covered by the 2D Gaussian \({{\mathscr{N}}}((2,2),{\sigma }_{s}^{2}I)\). Then, SNR is defined by \({\sigma }_{s}/{\sigma }_{n}\) when the noise is drawn from \({{\mathscr{N}}}((0,0),{\sigma }_{s}^{2}I)\).
The edge weights \({{\boldsymbol{w}}}\) are determined by velocity (see the Potential estimation section in Methods). Then, we calculate the vector \({{\boldsymbol{u}}}\) representing potential values at vertices, which allows us to determine the gradient component at edges as \(-{\delta }_{0}{{\boldsymbol{u}}}\). We set the magnitude of the gradient component as \(p\). Next, the cyclic (divergence-free) component \({{\boldsymbol{r}}}={{\boldsymbol{w}}}+{\delta }_{0}{{\boldsymbol{u}}}\) obtained by subtracting the gradient \(-{\delta }_{0}{{\boldsymbol{u}}}\) from weight \({{\boldsymbol{w}}}\). The magnitude of the cyclic component is similarly calculated as content \(q\), and the proportions of \(p\) and \(q\) represent the proportion of the gradient and cyclic components on the graph. These quantities are summarized as follows:
The gradient and divergence-free components are orthogonal, and they satisfy \({{\langle }}{\delta }_{0}{{\boldsymbol{u}}},{{\boldsymbol{r}}}{{\rangle }}=0\). Therefore, their normalized contributions in \({{\boldsymbol{w}}}\) sum to one: \((p+q)/\parallel {{\boldsymbol{w}}}{\parallel }^{2}=1\).
Velocities were estimated using scvelo (version 0.3.2). For cell-type annotation, the scRNA-seq data of mouse embryos34 were used as training data for Celltypist (version 1.6.3), and the cell-type labels were given for the VASA-seq data. The analysis using ddHodge was performed with a \(k\)-NN graph where \(k=12\) and the reduced dimensionality was \(r=4\). The detailed methods for reproducing the data analysis are available on GitHub.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
All datasets analyzed in this study are publicly available. For VASA-seq data, spliced and unspliced read counts were obtained from GEO (accession: GSE176588). The processed loom file of FUCCI data was obtained from GitHub (CellProfiling/SingleCellProteogenomics [https://github.com/CellProfiling/SingleCellProteogenomics]). For the regenerating muscle tissue dataset, the raw sequence reads were obtained from NCBI (accession: SRP241205). The processed data from the VASA-seq and muscle regeneration dataset, along with various dynamic indicators calculated by ddHodge, are deposited in Figshare (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28723652). Source data for all figures are available in the Figshare repository and in the GitHub repository described below. No access restrictions apply.
ddHodge46 is implemented as a Julia package and is available at https://github.com/kazumits/ddHodge.jl. The Jupyter notebooks used to reproduce the figures and the related processed data in this manuscript are also available at https://github.com/kazumits/ddHodge_figures. These codes were archived in Zenodo under the https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17660331 and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17660342.
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We thank Profs. Yusuke Imoto and Yasuaki Hiraoka at Kyoto University for insightful discussions, and Advanced Research Initiative, Research Promotion Unit, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, for their support. This work was supported by JST PRESTO JPMJPR2026, JST CREST JPMJCR23N3, JPMJCR24Q1, JSPS KAKENHI JP22H04696, JP23H04288 and JP25H01484 to K.M., AMED BINDS JP22ama121017j0001, JSPS KAKENHI JP24H02323, JP23H00372, JP22H04676 and JP22K19275 to Y.O. This work was also supported in part by the MEXT Promotion of Development of a Joint Usage / Research System Project: Pan-Omics DDRIC, MRCI for High Depth Omics, CURE:JPMXP1323015486 for MIB and RIIT and Autonomous Medical Research Center in Kyushu University.
Department of Multi-Omics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Kazumitsu Maehara
Division of Transcriptomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Kazumitsu Maehara & Yasuyuki Ohkawa
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Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar
K. M. and Y.O. conceived and interpretation of results, and K.M. built the theoretical framework of ddHodge and developed software, K.M. and Y.O. wrote the paper.
Correspondence to
Yasuyuki Ohkawa.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks Jianhua Xing, who co-reviewed with Yan Zhang, Xiaojie Qiu and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Maehara, K., Ohkawa, Y. Geometry-preserving vector field reconstruction of high-dimensional cell-state dynamics using ddHodge.
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Brain metastasis (BM) carries a poor prognosis, yet the molecular basis of brain tropism remains unclear. Analysis of breast cancer BM (BCBM) revealed pervasive p53 inactivation through mutations and/or aneuploidy, with pathway disruption already present in primary tumors. Functionally, p53 inactivation markedly increased BCBM formation and growth in vivo, causally linking p53 perturbation to BM. Mechanistically, p53 inactivation upregulated SCD1 and fatty acid synthesis (FAS), essential for brain-metastasizing cells; SCD1 knockout abolished the p53-dependent growth advantage. Molecularly, p53 suppressed SCD1 directly through promoter binding and indirectly by downregulating its co-activator DEPDC1. Astrocytes further enhanced FAS by secreting factors that were metabolized in a p53-dependent manner, promoting tumor survival, proliferation and migration. Finally, p53-deficient tumors were sensitive to FAS inhibition ex vivo and in vivo. Thus, we identify p53 inactivation as a driver of BCBM, reveal p53-dependent and astrocyte-dependent FAS modulation and highlight FAS as a therapeutically targetable BCBM vulnerability.
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TCGA4,15, METABRIC5, MBC17,29,30 and MSK16,17,19 data were obtained from cBioPortal73. GSE14017 (ref. 28), GSE14018 (ref. 28), GSE125989 (ref. 76), GSE12276 (ref. 74) and GSE76714 (ref. 75) were obtained from the GEO.
CAL51 TP53-KO RNA sequencing data were from ref. 36. RNA sequencing data for the hTERT-HMEC engineered cell lines were deposited to SRA under accession PRJNA1246204. RNA sequencing data of metastases were deposited to GEO under accession GSE245414. RNA sequencing data from patient autopsy samples are available upon request from BROCADE, subject to Access Committee and ethical approvals. These restrictions are in place to ensure that the data are used in compliance with ethical guidelines for patient confidentiality and informed consent. Application details are provided at https://www.petermac.org/research/cohort-studies/brocade/information-on-brocade-for-researchers. Applications are typically reviewed within 4–6 weeks.
RNA sequencing data of MDA-MB231 cells after siRNA-mediated knockdown of DEPDC1 were deposited to GEO under accession GSE281411. P53 CUT&Tag data were deposited to SRA, under accession PRJNA1247024. Source data are provided with this paper.
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The authors thank J. Pietenpol (Vanderbilt University Medical Center) for generously sharing isogenic CAL51 cells with various TP53 perturbations; N. Erez (Tel Aviv University), A. Sonneblick (Schneider Children's Medical Center), S. Izraeli (Tel Aviv University) and O. Shoshani (Weizmann Institute) for helpful discussions; M. Itkin and A. Felder from the Life Science Core facilities at WIS for their assistance with metabolomics; P. Ofek, E. Yeini and Y. Zilberstein (Tel Aviv University) for assistance with intracranial and intracardiac injections, monitoring and imaging of mice; I. Shur and D. Makarovsky (Tel Aviv University) for assistance with FACS sorting; S. Israeli (Schneider Children's Medical Center), A. Savino (Schneider Children's Medical Center), A. Ruban (Tel Aviv University) and Y. Goldshmit (Tel Aviv University) for the sharing of reagents; P. Cassoni (University of Turin) for funding support of the Bertero lab; and R. Serwa from the IMol Proteomic Core Facility for assistance with proteomics.
The authors acknowledge the patients who donated samples, as well as their families, who supported their wish to donate to the BROCADE Rapid Autopsy Program. The authors are grateful for the support of BROCADE, initially supported by the Australian National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) under an infrastructure grant (IF-14-001). The authors would like to thank the study co-PIs, R. Anderson (ONJCRI/PMCC) and A. Swarbrick (Garvan Institute of Medical Research) and L. Devereux, who manages BROCADE and helped with the identification, collection and processing of samples. The authors also acknowledge the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine that conducted the rapid autopsies; P. MacCallum, Kinghorn Centre, Garvan Institute and Tobin Brothers Funeral Directors for providing transport of donors. The BROCADE study operates under Ethics and Governance oversight at the PMCC.
This work was supported by the European Research Council Starting Grant (945674 to U.B.-D.), the Israel Cancer Research Fund Project Award (to U.B.-D.), the Azrieli Foundation Faculty Fellowship (to U.B.-D.), the Israel Science Foundation (grants 1805/21 and 3755/21 to U.B.-D.), the BSF (project grant 2019228 to U.B.-D.), the Schreiber Foundation of Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine (to U.B.-D.) and the Tel Aviv University/LaTrobe University/ONJCRI Joint Collaboration Research Program in Cancer Research (to U.B.-D. and D.M.). D.M. is supported by the Love Your Sister Foundation and the Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Research Fellowship (MCRF21011) and the Australian NBCF (IIRS0049). E.V.W. is supported by the Breast Cancer Alliance Young Investigator Grant. H.M., M.C. and T.B. acknowledge support from LOEWE Center Frankfurt Cancer Institute, supported by the Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research, and the Arts (III L 5-519/03/03.001-(0015)). H.M. additionally acknowledges support from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is cofunded by the European Commission (01KT2304A). G.D.S. acknowledges support from the Fondazione AIRC IG (grants 22174 and 30570), the Fondazione AIRC Special Program Molecular Clinical Oncology ‘5 per 1,000' (grant 22759), Worldwide Cancer Research (grant 24-0361), the NRRP NextGenerationEU Project CN00000041-National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs based on RNA Technology to GDS. R.B. was supported by an AIRC fellowship for Italy. R.A.-P. is supported by Israel Science Foundation (700/24), DFG (706375), the Yoran Institute for Human Genome Research, the Zimin Institute, Claire and Amédée Maratier Institute for the Study of Blindness and Tel Aviv University. R.S.-F. is supported by the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (835227), 3DBrainStrom and the ERC PoC grant (862580), 3DCanPredict, the Israel Science Foundation (ISF 1969/18, ISF 3706/24), the Israel Cancer Research Fund Professorship Award (PROF-18-602) and the Morris Kahn Foundation.
These authors contributed equally: Kathrin Laue, Sabina Pozzi.
These authors jointly supervised this work: Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, Uri Ben-David.
Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Kathrin Laue, Johanna Zerbib, Yonatan Eliezer, Yael Cohen-Sharir, Tom Winkler, Rachel Slutsky, Katharina Lange, Ron Saad & Uri Ben-David
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Sabina Pozzi, Rami Khoury, Giuseppe Longobardi, Sahar Israeli Dangoor & Ronit Satchi-Fainaro
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park—Padriciano Campus, Trieste, Italy
Rebecca Bertolio, Manuel Caputo, Alessandra Rustighi, Silvano Piazza & Giannino Del Sal
Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Alessia A. Ricci & Luca Bertero
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Lital Adler & Ayelet Erez
Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Alicia I. Leikin-Frenkel & Iris Barshack
The Strassburger Lipid Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
Alicia I. Leikin-Frenkel
Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Shai Ovadia & Ruth Ashery-Padan
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
Shai Ovadia
Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Alessandra Rustighi & Giannino Del Sal
Translational Oncology Research Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
Andrea Sacconi & Giovanni Blandino
Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
Rayna Y. Magesh, Faith N. Keller & Emma V. Watson
Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jean Berthelet, Yang Liao, Wei Shi & Delphine Merino
School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jean Berthelet & Delphine Merino
Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Alexander Schäffer & Hind Medyouf
IMol Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
Karolina Szczepanowska
Institute of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
Iris Barshack
Life Science Core Facility, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Sergey Malitsky & Alexander Brandis
Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Thomas Broggini & Marcus Czabanka
Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Thomas Broggini & Marcus Czabanka
Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Delphine Merino
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Delphine Merino
RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
Hind Medyouf
IFOM ETS, The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
Giannino Del Sal
Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ronit Satchi-Fainaro
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K.L. and U.B.-D. conceived the study. K.L. performed most of the computational analyses and in vitro experiments, assisted with in vivo experiments and led the data analysis of all experiments. S. Pozzi performed most of the in vivo animal experiments, spheroid experiments and astrocyte derivation. G.L., R.K. and S.I.D. assisted with animal experiments. J.Z., T.W., Y.C.-S., Y.E. and R. Slutsky performed in vitro experiments. T.W., Y.E. and R. Saad assisted with genomic data analyses. R.Y.M., F.N.K. and E.V.W. contributed the hTERT-HMEC model and its gene expression analysis. K.S. shared proteomics data of MCF7 cells. R.K. and A.I.L.-F. performed the GC experiments. L.A. and A.E. performed the isotope tracing experiments with the help of S.M. and A.B. A.A.R. and L.B. contributed clinical samples of BCBM and performed IHC experiments. I.B. contributed clinical samples of BCBM. A. Sacconi and G.B. provided RNA-seq of clinical samples of BCBM. W.S., Y.L., J.B. and D.M. provided RNA-seq of clinical samples of metastases from various organs. Y.E., S.O. and R.A.-P. performed CUT&Tag experiments. M. Czabanka, T.B., A. Schäffer, A.A.R. and H.M. contributed clinical BM samples and performed drug treatments of patient-derived organotypic cultures. S. Piazza performed bioinformatic analyses of the DEPDC1 RNA-seq data. R.B., A.R. and M. Caputo performed cell culture and biochemical analyses. G.D.S. oversaw the RNA-seq and biochemical analyses of DEPDC1 in BC cells. R.S.-F. directed and supervised the ex vivo spheroid experiments and in vivo work. U.B.-D. directed and supervised the overall study. K.L. and U.B.-D. wrote the manuscript with input from all co-authors.
Correspondence to
Ronit Satchi-Fainaro or Uri Ben-David.
R.S.-F. is a board director at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and receives unrelated research funding from Merck KGaA. U.B.-D. received consulting fees from Accent Therapeutics and received unrelated research funding from Novocure. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Genetics thanks S. Bakhoum and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
a, Distribution of TP53 perturbation modes in primary BC across three clinical datasets (TCGA, METABRIC, MSK-IMPACT). del17p prevalence: TCGA 86%, METABRIC 81%, MSK-IMPACT 71%. See Supplementary Table 1. b, Distribution of TP53 biallelic perturbation modes in primary BC from the TCGA cohort: 92% of biallelic inactivation cases combine del17p and a point mutation. c, The effect of TP53 status on its gene expression. TP53 mRNA levels are lower in BCs with TP53 copy-number losses (regardless of TP53 mutation status) in TCGA (left) and METABRIC (right) datasets. Deletions of TP53 occurred almost exclusively through del17p, whereas focal deletions were rare (2%). TCGA, two-sided t-test, TP53-WT vs. TP53 monoallelic inactivation, ****p = 1.2 × 10−22, TP53-WT vs. TP53-WT/del ****p = 3 × 10−12, TP53-WT vs. TP53-WT/mut ****p = 1.4 × 10−7, TP53-WT vs. TP53-mut/del ****p = 4 × 10−8. Number of tumors TP53-WT n = 266, TP53 monoallelic inactivation n = 337, TP53-WT/del n = 268 (focal n = 15, del17p n = 271), TP53 TP53-WT/mut n = 41, TP53 TP53-mut/del n = 279. METABRIC, two-sided t-test, TP53-WT vs. TP53 monoallelic inactivation ****p = 3.8 × 10−19, TP53-WT vs. TP53-WT/del ****p = 1.2 × 10−25, TP53-WT vs. TP53-mut/del ****p= 5.1 × 10−10. Number of tumors TP53-WT n = 695, TP53 monoallelic inactivation n = 462, TP53-WT/del n = 311 (all through del17p), TP53-WT/mut n = 127, TP53-mut/del n = 364. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range. d, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) confirms that the p53 pathway activity is lower in TP53-perturbed vs. TP53-WT primary BCs, irrespective of TP53 perturbation mode (METABRIC, ‘P53_DN.V2.DN'; p-values and FDR-corrected q-values indicated). e, Proteomics-based ssGSEA scores of p53 targets in MCF7 cell strains show lower p53 activity in del17p vs. 17p-WT MCF7 cells. TMT multiplexing mass spectrometry-based quantification, ‘Oncogenic signatures, P53_DN.V2_DN', two-sided t-test *p = 0.03. 17p-WT: n = 2, del17p: n = 3. f, Generation of human mammary epithelial (HMEC) cells with TP53 alterations: diploid HMECs spontaneously gained a heterozygous p53 mutation (Y163S) in culture, impairing p53 function. The TP53-WT/mut clone subsequently lost the remaining TP53-WT allele through del17p, resulting in TP53 biallelic inactivation (TP53-mut/del17p). In parallel, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate a knockout line on the TP53-WT/mut background, also resulting in TP53 biallelic inactivation (TP53-mut/KO). g, RNA-seq-based comparison of mRNA levels of several p53 targets (CDKN1A, MDM2, TP53INP1) shows their decrease in TP53-mut/del17p cells and TP53-mut/KO vs. TP53-WT; intermediate levels were observed in TP53-WT/mut cells. One-sided t-test, TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-mut/del17p: CDKN1A ***p = 2×10−4, MDM2 **p = 0.003, TP53INP1 **p = 0.01; TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT: CDKN1A **p = 0.005, MDM2 ****p = 2.9 × 10−5, TP53INP1 **p = 0.007; TP53-mut/del17p vs. TP53-WT: CDKN1A ****p = 3.8 × 10−6, MDM2 ****p = 1 × 10−5, TP53INP1 ****p = 4.3 × 10−5; TP53-mut/KO vs. TP53-WT: CDKN1A ****p = 1.3 × 10−6, MDM2 ****p = 1.4 × 10−6, TP53INP1 ****p = 4 × 10−7. n = 3. Error bars, mean ± s.d. h, GSEA of hTERT-HMECs with various TP53 alterations (TP53-WT/mut, TP53-mut/del17p, or TP53-mut/KO) reveals reduced p53 pathway expression (‘p53-targets Nutlin_UP, U2OS' gene set) in comparison to TP53-WT cells, which is lower in cells with biallelic vs. monoallelic inactivation. P-values and FDR-corrected q-values indicated. i, Comparison of the prevalence of TP53 alterations in primary breast tumors and across metastatic sites. TP53 alterations are more frequent in BMs vs. primary tumors or other metastatic sites (MSK 2018). Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BMs vs. primary tumors, ****p = 1 × 10−4; BMs vs. other metastatic sites, ****p = 4 × 10−5; primary tumors vs. others, p = 0.19. Primary n = 477, brain n = 26, lung n = 66, liver n = 218, bone n = 116, others n = 322. Panels f and i were created with BioRender.com. j, Comparison of the prevalence of TP53 biallelic perturbations in primary breast tumors and across metastatic sites. TP53 biallelic perturbations are more frequent in BMs vs. primary breast tumors or other metastatic sites (MSK 2018). Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 biallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BMs vs. primary tumors, ***p = 1.8 × 10−4; BMs vs. others, ***p = 4 × 10−4; primary tumors vs. others, p = 0.33. Primary n = 477, brain n = 26, lung n = 66, liver n = 218, bone n = 116, others n = 322. k, ssGSEA scores of the p53 pathway in brain metastases (brain) and metastases from other organs (others), derived from the same single patient. p53 pathway activity was lower in brain vs. other metastatic sites from the same patient (brain: n = 1, others: n = 6; gray: ‘P53_DN.V1_DN', purple: ‘P53_DN.V1_UP'). Error bars, mean ± s.d.
Source data
a–c, GSEA comparing primary tumors of patients who developed BMs and those who developed metastases in other organs. a, GSEA plot showing downregulation of a p53 expression signature in primary tumors that metastasized to the brain vs. bone (MBC cohort). Oncogenic signature ‘p53_DN.V1_DN', brain vs. bone p = 0.005. Brain n = 7, bone = 24. b, GSEA plot showing upregulation of a signature indicative of decreased p53 signaling in primary BCs that metastasized to the brain in comparison to other sites in a second dataset (GSE12276). Brain vs. others, oncogenic signature ‘P53_DN.V2_UP', p = 0.003. Brain n = 7, others n = 121. c, GSEA plots showing downregulation of a signature indicative of increased p53 signaling (left) and upregulation of a signature indicative of decreased p53 signaling (right) in triple-negative primary breast tumors that metastasized to the brain vs. those that did not (data source GSE76714)75. Brain vs. others, oncogenic signature: ‘P53_DN.V1_DN' p = 0.018, oncogenic signatures: P53_DN.V2_UP p = 0.035, brain n = 21, others n = 38. See Supplementary Table 3. d, GSEA of primary BCs (TCGA cohort), comparing tumors with TP53 inactivation to TP53-WT tumors. ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn', p = 0.001. TP53 inactivation: n = 623, TP53-WT: n = 259. e, ssGSEA of brain-relapse signatures in primary BCs with TP53 inactivation compared to TP53-WT tumors (MBC cohort). Tumors with TP53 inactivation showed increased expression of signatures positively correlated with BM. TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain' **p = 0.01, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up' **p = 0.003, _DN p = 0.07. See Supplementary Table 4. f, Correlation between BM potential and p53 pathway activity levels in human BC. High potential for BM is strongly correlated with low p53 pathway activity (METABRIC cohort). Readout for p53 pathway activity: ssGSEA scores for ‘Kannan_TP53_targets' gene set. Readout for brain-metastatic potential: ssGSEA scores for ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain' gene set. Two-sided Pearson's correlation r = −0.41, p = 2.9 × 10−54. n = 1334 tumor samples. g, ssGSEA of brain-relapse signatures in primary BCs that metastasized to the brain compared to those that metastasized elsewhere. GSE12276. Brain vs. others, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain' **p = 0.007, rank #1, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up' **p = 0.008, rank #8, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn' ***p = 0.01, rank #8. Brain: n = 7, others: n = 121. See Supplementary Table 5. h,i, GSEA of BM gene expression gene sets in tumors with TP53 mutations, hotspot mutations or copy-number loss, compared to TP53-WT tumors, in the METABRIC cohort. GSEA showed an increase in gene expression that is upregulated in BM and a decrease in gene expression that is downregulated in BM, in (h) tumors with monoallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT tumors; and (i) tumors with biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT tumors, independent of the mode of p53 inactivation. P-values and q-values indicated in the respective panels. TP53-WT: n = 693, TP53-WT/mut: n = 168, TP53-WT/Hotspot: n = 30, TP53-WT/del: n = 505, TP53-mut/del: n = 405, TP53-Hotspot/del: n = 60, TP53-del/del: n = 5.
Source data
a, Correlation of TP53 inactivation with BM prevalence across carcinomas, for female (left) and male (right) tumors. Each dot represents a primary carcinoma (for lung and kidney, the highest-ranking subtypes were considered). Female: one-sided Spearman's ρ = 0.58, p = 0.04. Male: one-sided Spearman's ρ = 0.80, p = 0.003. b, Pan-cancer analysis of TP53 perturbation prevalence: TP53 alterations, and biallelic TP53 inactivation in particular, are enriched in BM in comparison to primary tumors and to other metastatic sites (MSK-IMPACT cohort17). Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumor, ****p = 1 × 10−5, BM vs. other metastasis, ****p = 1 × 10−5. TP53 biallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumor, ****p = 1 × 10−5, BM vs. other metastasis ****p = 1 × 10−5. Primary n = 2947, brain n = 126, chest wall n = 79, liver n = 658, lymph node n = 571, pleura n = 111, soft tissue n = 80, lung n = 265, bone n = 252, peritoneum n = 48, ovary, skin n = 47, pleural fluid n = 33, adrenal gland n = 34. c–e, Association between TP53 perturbation BM potential in carcinoma cell lines. c, In total, 367 carcinoma cell lines were grouped by their BM potential (top vs. low 25%). Panel c was created with BioRender.com. d, High-BM carcinoma cell lines show enrichment of TP53 biallelic inactivation (two-sided Fisher's exact test *p = 0.03). e, High-BM carcinoma cell lines show decreased p53 signaling, as evaluated by GSEA. Oncogenic signatures: ‘P53_DN.V1_DN' p = 0.015, rank #3. ‘P53_DN.V1_UP p = 0.027', rank #4. See Supplementary Table 3. f–i, TP53 alterations are enriched in BM vs. other metastases from primary lung tumors. f, Non-small cell lung cancer metastasis. Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors ****p = 1 × 10−5, BM vs. other metastasis ***p = 8 × 10−4. TP53 biallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors ****p = 1 × 10−5, BM vs. other metastasis ****p = 1 × 10−5. Primary n = 915, brain n = 59, chest wall n = 11, liver n = 68, lung n = 10, soft tissue n = 12, lymph node n = 211, bone n = 48, adrenal gland n = 19, pleura n = 73, pleural fluid n = 25. g, Lung adenocarcinoma metastasis. Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors ****p = 1 × 10−5, BM vs. other metastasis **p = 0.0017. TP53 biallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors ****p = 1 × 10−5, BM vs. other metastasis ***p = 1 × 10−4. Primary n = 781, brain n = 53, chest wall n = 10, liver n = 65, lung n = 10, lymph node n = 152, bone n = 40, soft tissue n = 10, pleural fluid n = 24, pleura n = 68, adrenal gland n = 16, other n = 425. h, Lung squamous cell carcinoma metastasis. Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors p = 0.13, BM vs. other metastasis p = 0.55. TP53 biallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumor p = 0.57, BM vs. other metastasis **p = 0.01. Primary n = 122, brain n = 3, pleura n = 4, bone n = 7, lymph node n = 14. i, Poorly differentiated, non-small cell lung cancer. Two-sided Fisher's exact test, TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors p = 1, BM vs. other metastasis p = 1. TP53 biallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT: BM vs. primary tumors p = 0.4, BM vs. other metastasis *p = 0.045. Primary n = 12, brain n = 3, bone n = 1, lymph node n = 5, pleura n = 1, adrenal gland n = 1, liver n = 1. j,k, GSEA of primary lung adenocarcinomas. j, Comparison of tumors based on their TP53 status. Panel j was created with BioRender.com. k, TP53-deficient primary lung adenocarcinomas show increased expression of BM signatures (TCGA PanCancer Atlas). TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up' p = 0.002, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn' p = 0. TP53 inactivation: n = 366, TP53-WT: n = 185 tumor samples. l, ssGSEA comparison shows that TP53 inactivation is associated with increased BM expression signatures. Two-sided t-test, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain' ****p = 2.1 × 10−23, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up' ****p = 1.5 × 10−11, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn' ****p = 2.7 × 10−18. m, ssGSEA comparison shows that TP53 inactivation is associated with decreased bone-metastasis expression signatures. Two-sided t-test, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone' ****p = 1.2 × 10−9, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone_up' ****p = 4.8 × 10−8, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone_dn' ****p = 5.9 × 10−5.. n, TP53-deficient primary lung adenocarcinomas with biallelic inactivation show increased expression of BM signatures (TCGA PanCancer Atlas). ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up' p = 0.01, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn' p = 1 × 10−4. TP53-null n = 169, TP53-WT n = 185. o, ssGSEA comparison shows that TP53 biallelic inactivation is associated with increased BM expression signatures. Two-sided t-test, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain' ****p = 2.3 × 10−27, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up' ****p = 8.2 × 10−15, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn' ****p = 1.1 × 10−19. p, ssGSEA comparison shows that TP53 biallelic inactivation is associated with decreased bone-metastasis expression signatures. Two-sided t-test, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone' ****p = 1.69 × 10−10, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone_up' ****p = 1.75 × 10−8, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone_dn' ****p = 1.7 × 10−5. See Source Data.
Source data
a, Experimental design and timeline of an intra-cardiac injection competition assay of EMT6 Trp53-WT and Trp53-null isogenic cells. Fluorescently-labeled Trp53-WT (red) and Trp53-null (green) EMT6 isogenic cells were injected into the same mice. The entire cohort was sacrificed after the first mouse died. In a first experiment only brains were analyzed, whereas in an additional experiment 5 organs (brain, lung, liver, bone and spleen) were collected and analyzed for fluorescence. b, Fluorescence images of dissected organs analyzed for the presence of Trp53-WT (red) and Trp53-null (green) cells. Fluorescence was calibrated to an organ from an uninjected control mouse to account for autofluorescence. Trp53-null tumors were present in 4/5 brains, but only one brain contained a tumor derived from Trp53-WT cells. The opposite trend was observed in bone samples (femur and tibia): Trp53-WT tumors were present in the bone of all mice, whereas no bone contained a tumor derived from Trp53-null cells. Scale bar = 10 mm. c, Fluorescence-based quantification of metastasis incidence to brain, lung, liver, bone and spleen following intra-cardiac injection of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null cells into the same mice. Increased number of brain lesions was detected with Trp53-null eGFP-labeled cells in comparison to Trp53-WT (sgRNA control) mCherry-labeled cells. Two-sided Fisher's exact test, brain *p = 0.02. n = 10 mice. The opposite trend was observed for bone tumors that only formed from Trp53-WT cells, two-sided Fisher's exact test, bone **p = 0.007. n = 5 mice. d, Increased tumor burden in the brain in mice from Trp53-null cells following intra-cardiac co-injection of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null BC cells. Tumor burden was defined as fluorescent signal over area. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT: brain *p = 0.04, lung *p = 0.02, liver p = 0.86, bone **p = 0.003, spleen p = 0.35. Trp53-WT: n = 5, Trp53-null: n = 5. e, Increased number of fluorescent foci in brain, but not in other organs, from Trp53-null cells in mice co-injected with isogenic Trp53-WT and Trp53-null BC cells. Number of fluorescent foci per organ. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT brain *p = 0.04, lung p = 0.17, liver p = 0.55, bone **p = 0.01, spleen p = 0.67. Trp53-WT n = 5, Trp53-null n = 5. f, Mouse brains were processed, and tissue sections were obtained from 5 areas of each brain. Panels a and f were created with BioRender.com. g, Immunofluorescence images of brain sections visualizing isogenic cancer cells. Trp53-null are labeled in green and Trp53-WT cells in red, sections were counterstained with DAPI to visualize cell nuclei. Scale bar = 100 µm. h–j, Fluorescence-based quantification of micrometastases derived from Trp53-WT and Trp53-null cells. h, The number of Trp53-null cells throughout the brain was significantly higher. Two-sided t-test **p = 0.006. i, The number of fluorescent Trp53-null cells per slide was significantly higher. Two-sided t-test **p = 0.003. j, Mouse brains contained bigger cell clusters of Trp53-null cells following competitive injection of labeled Trp53-null BC cells and their isogenic WT controls. Quantification of Trp53-null and Trp53-WT cell cluster size in brain sections from five brain areas. Fold change Trp53-null over Trp53-WT as % cell population. Two-sided t-test cluster size 2–5 cells **p = 0.002, 6-10 cells **p = 0.006, 11-15 cells **p = 0.003, 16-30 cells *p = 0.02. Mice n = 5. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range.
Source data
a, Fluorescence-based quantification of microglia in the EMT6-derived tumors. Iba1 staining intensity was similar in tumors growing from Trp53-null and Trp53-WT BC cells. Two-sided t-test p = 0.08. Tumor sections evaluated: Trp53-WT n = 9, Trp53-null n = 9. Mice n = 3. b, Fluorescence-based quantification of endothelial cells in the EMT6-derived tumors. CD31 staining intensity was similar in tumors growing from Trp53-null and Trp53-WT BC cells. Two-sided t-test p = 0.23, Tumor sections evaluated: Trp53-WT n = 11, Trp53-null n = 13. Mice n = 3. c, Live imaging-based proliferation curves of EMT6 BC cells co-cultured with mouse astrocytes. The effect of co-culture on the growth of Trp53-null BC cells is stronger than that of Trp53-WT cells. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT: 48 h **p = 0.002, 60 h ***p = 7 × 10−4; 72 h ****p = 2 × 10−5. Trp53-WT n = 8, Trp53-null n = 8. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. d, Live imaging-based proliferation curves of BC EMT6 cells cultured with ACM. The effect of ACM on the growth of Trp53-null BC cells is stronger than its effect on Trp53-WT cells. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT: 24 h ****p = 1.2 × 10−10; 36 h ****p = 1 × 10−10; ****p, 48 h ****p = 4.5 × 10−7; 60 h ****p = 1 × 10−5; 72 h ***p = 2 × 10−4. Trp53-WT n = 7, Trp53-null n = 7. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. e, Live imaging-based proliferation curves of EMT6 BC cells cultured with ACM. The effect of ACM on the growth of Trp53-null BC cells is stronger than its effect on Trp53-WT cells (shown as cell numbers). Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT, 60 h *p = 0.04, 72 h *p = 0.02. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. f, Flow cytometry analysis of BC cells cultured with ACM. The fraction of cells in apoptosis is lower in Trp53-null than in Trp53-WT cells. Fraction of AnnexinV+ cells is shown as fold change relative to SFM controls. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT, **p = 0.01, n = 4. See Supplementary Fig. 16a. g, Transwell migration assay to assess the migration of BC cells towards ACM. BC cells were seeded in SFM in the upper compartment and ACM or astrocytes were placed in the lower compartment. h, Quantification of cell migration in the transwell assay after 20 h of co-culture of BC cells and astrocytes, showing all conditions analyzed (see Fig. 3l for relative ACM/SF values). The effect of astrocytes on cell migration was stronger in Trp53-null cells. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-WT SFM vs. Trp53-WT astrocytes ***p = 9 × 10−4; Trp53-null SFM vs. Trp53-null astrocytes ****p = 2.5 × 10−7; Trp53-WT astrocytes vs. Trp53-null astrocytes ****p = 1.7 × 10−6. i, Quantification of cell migration in the transwell assay after 20 h of co-culture of BC cells and ACM. The effect of ACM on cell migration was significantly stronger in Trp53-null cells. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null SFM vs. Trp53-null ACM p = 0.004, Trp53-WT ACM vs. Trp53-null ACM ****p = 6 × 10−8. The fold increase of migrating cells in ACM over SFM was significant at **p = 0.005. Fields counted TP53-WT n = 17, TP53-null n = 12. j, Live imaging-based quantification of the effect of ACM on cell velocity of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null cells. Cell velocity shown as fold increase in ACM over SFM. Two-sided t-test ****p = 1 × 10−6. Each data point represents a velocity measurement; n = 47. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range.
Source data
a–d, ssGSEA comparisons show upregulation of adipogenesis, FA synthesis, uptake, and activation in BMs vs. other metastatic sites in several cohorts: a, GSE14018; b, GSE245414; c, BROCADE patient 6071 autopsy data; and d, in BMs compared to their matched primary breast tumors (GSE125989)76. Significance is indicated as: *p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, ****<1 × 10−4. For the list of gene sets and exact p-values, see Supplementary Tables 7–9. Panels a–d were created with BioRender.com. e, ssGSEA comparisons show strong upregulation of FA synthesis/uptake in tumors with biallelic TP53 inactivation; tumors with monoallelic TP53 perturbation show weaker but significant effects (METABRIC cohort). Significance is indicated as: *p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, ****p <1 × 10−4. For the list of gene sets and exact p-values, see Supplementary Table 7. f, GSEA comparing gene expression signatures related to lipid metabolism in HMEC cells with monoallelic (TP53-WT/mut) or biallelic (TP53-mut/del17p and TP53-mut/KO) TP53 inactivation, in comparison to their parental TP53-WT cells. Shown as a heatmap, upregulated signatures in red and downregulated signatures in blue. TP53-WT/mut cells showed intermediate p53 pathway expression levels and elevated lipid metabolism expression levels. g, Metabolomics analysis of OA-containing triglycerides reveals enrichment in ACM vs. SFM (two-sided t-test ****p = 2.3 × 10−5). SFM n = 3, ACM n = 3. OA-containing triglycerides n = 11. See Supplementary Table 13. h, Live-imaging-based proliferation curves show that Trp53-null EMT6 cells grow better than their isogenic Trp53-WT controls when lipid levels are limited, in line with increased FA synthesis in Trp53-null cells. Two-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT cells (delipidated conditions): 24 h **p = 0.005, 36 h **p = 0.001, 48 h **p = 0.009, 60 h *p = 0.02. Trp53-WT n = 4, Trp53-null n = 4. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. i, Viability quantification shows that Trp53-null cells survive better under lipid starvation conditions (two-sided t-test ***p = 3 × 10−4). Trp53-WT n = 4, Trp53-null n = 4. j, High PA (50 µM) was better tolerated by Trp53-null vs. -WT BC cells (doubling time relative to control). Paired one-sided t-test *p = 0.03). n = 3. k,l, CD36 protein quantification. k, Representative gel. l, Western blot quantification shows CD36 protein upregulation in TP53-null CAL51 cells, especially when cultured in ACM (one-sided t-test *p = 0.02, n = 3). CD36 protein levels are shown as fold change of ACM over WT SFM conditions. Bar = median; whiskers = range highest to lowest data points. m, Comparison of CD36 mRNA expression levels in primary BCs of the luminal B subtype, with monoallelic or biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT tumors, independent of inactivation mode (TCGA and METABRIC cohorts combined). Tumors with biallelic TP53 inactivation expressed lower levels of CD36, whereas tumors with monoallelic TP53 inactivation showed intermediate CD36 mRNA levels. One-sided t-test, monoallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.02, biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT ***p = 3 × 10−4, TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.03, TP53-WT/del vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.03, TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT/del p = 0.33 ns. TP53-WT n = 159, TP53 monoallelic inactivation n = 179, TP53 biallelic inactivation n = 126, TP53-WT/mut: n = 20, TP53-WT/del: n = 159. n, Comparison of CD36 mRNA expression levels in human primary BCs with TP53 biallelic inactivation vs TP53-WT of the Luminal A molecular subtype (TCGA). TP53-null tumors exhibited higher CD36 mRNA expression levels. Shown as fold-increase CD36 expression relative to the average expression of TP53-WT tumors. One-sided t-test **p = 0.01, TP53-WT n = 212, TP53-null n = 49. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range. See Source Data.
Source data
a, SCD1 expression is higher in BMs vs. their matched primary tumors (GSE125989). Paired two-sided t-test *p = 0.04. Matched primary tumors and BMs: n = 16. b,c, SCD1 and FASN mRNA expression levels are elevated in BMs vs. other metastases. b, GSE1418: one-sided t-test **p = 0.003, FASN *p = 0.03. BM: n = 7, metastases in other sites: n = 29. c, GSE245414: one-sided t-test, SCD1 **p = 0.01, FASN **p = 0.01. BM: n = 6, other metastatic sites: n = 26. d,e, SCD1 mRNA levels were higher in human BCs with monoallelic or biallelic TP53 inactivation, irrespective of their mode of p53 inactivation (mutation or copy-number loss). d, TCGA one-sided t-test: TP53-monoallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT*p = 0.01, TP53-WT/del vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.02, TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.046; biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT ****p = 1.4 × 10−5. TP53-WT: n = 266, TP53-WT/del: n = 287, TP53-WT/mut: n = 50, biallelic TP53 inactivation: n = 279. e, METABRIC, one-sided t-test: TP53-monoallelic inactivation vs. TP53-WT **p = 0.009; TP53-WT/del vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.02; TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.01; biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT ***p = 6 × 10−4. TP53-WT: n = 592, biallelic TP53 inactivation: n = 324, TP53-WT/del: n = 280, TP53-WT/mut: n = 138. f, FASN mRNA levels were higher in primary BCs with biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT tumors (TCGA; LumB subtype). One-sided t-test *p = 0.02. TP53-WT: n = 31, biallelic TP53 inactivation: n = 63. g, FASN mRNA levels were higher in tumors with biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT tumors (METABRIC; LumB subtype). One-sided t-test, **p = 0.002. TP53-WT: n = 128, TP53-mut/del: n = 63. h, FASN mRNA levels were higher in human BCs with monoallelic or biallelic TP53 inactivation, irrespective of their mode of p53 inactivation (TCGA and METABRIC cohorts combined; LumA subtype). One-sided t-test: TP53-WT/del vs. TP53-WT **p = 0.004; TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.03; biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT ****p = 3 × 10−5. TP53-WT: n = 159, TP53-WT/del: n = 157, TP53-WT/mut: n = 21, TP53-mut/del: n = 126. i, Correlation between FASN expression levels and p53 pathway activity. Low p53 pathway activity (ssGSEA score, ‘Kannan_p53_targets') correlates with high FASN mRNA levels across primary BCs that metastasized to the brain (GSE125989). Two-sided Spearman's ρ = –0.47, p = 0.035, n = 16. j, Scd1 mRNA levels by qPCR: Scd1 expression was higher in Trp53-null vs. -WT EMT6 cells grown in full medium, delipidated medium, or SFM (One-sided t-test *p = 0.01, **p = 0.003, **p = 0.003). Full: n = 4, delipidated: n = 3, SFM: n = 4. k, Fasn mRNA levels by qPCR. Fasn expression was higher in Trp53-null EMT6 grown in full medium, delipidated medium or ACM. One-sided t-test p = 0.11, ***p = 7 × 10−4, p = 0.05. Full: n = 3, delipidated: n = 3, ACM: n = 6 and n = 3 for Trp53-WT and Trp53-null, respectively. l,m, ACM increased SCD1 protein levels more in TP53-null and TP53-mut (R175H, R273H) vs. TP53-WT cells in an additional CAL51 isogenic cell system. l, Representative gel. m, Quantification. One-sided one-sample t-test, TP53-WT ACM vs. SFM *p = 0.02; TP53-null ACM vs. SFM **p = 0.002; TP53-mut (R175H) ACM vs. SFM **p = 0.01; TP53-mut (273H) ACM vs. SFM *p = 0.02. Paired one-sided t-test ACM/SFM: TP53-null vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.03; TP53-mut (R175H) vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.03, TP53-mut (R273H) vs. TP53-WT p = 0.07. TP53-WT: n = 9, TP53-null: n = 9. TP53-mut (R175H): n = 9, TP53-mut (R273H): n = 6. n,o, ACM increased FASN protein levels more in TP53-null and TP53-mut (R175H, R273H) vs. TP53-WT cells in an additional CAL51 isogenic cell system. n, Representative gel. o, Quantification. One-sided one-sample t-test, TP53-WT ACM vs. SFM p = 0.32; TP53-null ACM vs. SFM *p = 0.01; TP53-mut (R175H) ACM vs. SFM **p = 0.002; TP53-mut (273H) ACM vs. SFM *p = 0.04. Paired one-sided t-test ACM/SFM: TP53-null vs. TP53-WT **p = 0.008; TP53-mut (R175H) vs. TP53-WT *p = 0.01, TP53-mut (R273H) vs. TP53-WT p = 0.07. TP53-WT: n = 9, TP53-null: n = 9, TP53-mut: (R175H) n = 9, TP53-mut (R273H): n = 7. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range.
Source data
a, Quantification of FA content using gas chromatography, assessing POA over PA enrichment in EMT6 Trp53-WT and Trp53-null cells after ACM exposure for 20 h. Two-sided t-test, ***p = 8 × 10−4, n = 3. Error bars, mean ± s.d. b, 13C-tracing shows higher POA M + 16 fractional enrichment in Trp53-null cells after 13C-PA incubation (20 µM, 25 h). One-sided t-test **p = 0.004, n = 4. c, 13C-PA tracing shows higher POA isotope mean enrichment in Trp53-null vs. WT after 13C-PA incubation. One-sided t-test **p = 0.002, n = 4. d, SCD1 and CD36 mRNA are positively correlated in BCBM (GSE14017). Two-sided Spearman's ρ = 0.66, p = 0.008, n = 15. e, Schematic illustration of the FA synthesis pathway, with potential carbon sources. f, LC-MS analysis of polar metabolites in ACM shows elevated glutamate but unchanged glucose in ACM vs. SFM. Two-sided t-test, *p = 0.01. SFM: n = 3, ACM: n = 3. See Supplementary Table 13. g, Metabolic profiling55 of human BC cell lines reveals lower glutamate levels in TP53-null vs. TP53-WT BC cells. Two-sided t-test *p = 0.03. TP53-WT: n = 4, TP53-null: n = 20. h, Representative images of GFP+ Trp53-WT and Trp53-null cells after 48 h in SFM, ACM, or glutamate-supplemented SFM (75 mM). Glutamate improved proliferation, more strongly in Trp53-null. Scale bar = 400 µm. i, Live-cell imaging proliferation curves under the same conditions show that glutamate partially phenocopied ACM effect (two-sided t-test *p = 0.02 (36 h); *p = 0.04 (48 h); n = 3). Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. j–l, SCD1 and FASN protein levels in isogenic Trp53-WT and Trp53-null cells cultured in SFM with or without glutamate (75 mM). j, Representative gel. k,l, Western blot quantification shows that ACM exposure elevated SCD1 and FASN protein levels in Trp53-null cells. One-sided t-test SCD1 **p = 0.005 and FASN ***p = 5 × 10−4. Trp53-WT: n = 4, Trp53-null: n = 4. m, 13C-glutamate tracing (24 h) into PA (M + 2) shows higher enrichment in Trp53-null vs. WT. Two-sided t-test *p = 0.03, n = 3. Bar = median; whiskers = range highest to lowest data points. n, 13C-glutamate tracing (24 h) into POA (M + 2) shows higher enrichment in Trp53-null vs. WT. One-sided t-test *p = 0.02, n = 3. Bar = median; whiskers = range highest to lowest data points. o, PA mean enrichment from 13C-glutamate (left) or 13C-glucose (right) after 24-h incubation. Isotope-labeled PA was significantly enriched in Trp53-null cells in comparison to the Trp53-WT controls after 13C-glutamate incubation. One-sided t-test, Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT, *p = 0.02, n = 3. No difference in PA mean enrichment in Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT cells was observed after 13C-glucose incubation. Bar = median; whiskers = range highest to lowest data points. p, ¹³C-glutamate tracing (24 h) into POA showed higher enrichment in Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT. One-sided t-test *p = 0.03, n = 3. Bar = median; whiskers = range highest to lowest data points. q, Schematic illustration of OA isotopologues after 13C-glutamate labeling. Panels a and q were created with BioRender.com. r, Quantification of OA isotopologue distribution after 13C-glutamate incubation (48 h) shows higher M + 2 and M + 4 fractions in Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT. Two-sided t-test *p = 0.03 (M + 2), *p = 0.02 (M + 4). See Supplementary Table 15. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range.
Source data
a, Overlap of CAL51 p53 CUT&Tag peaks with ChIP Atlas p53-bound genes72. A total of 3,524 peaks (54%) overlap; two-sided chi-squared test, p = 1 × 10−5. See Supplementary Table 16. b, CUT&Tag read coverage plot showing p53 binding at CDKN1A promoter in TP53-WT CAL51 cells. c, Overlap of CAL51 p53 CUT&Tag peaks with ChIP Atlas SREBP1-bound genes72. A total of 823 peaks (14%) overlap; two-sided chi-squared test, p = 1 × 10−5. See Supplementary Table 16. d, SREBF1 mRNA by qPCR: Higher SREBF1 mRNA levels in TP53-null vs. TP53-WT CAL51 cells (SFM, two-sided t-test, ***p = 2 × 10−4. n = 5). e, TP53 mRNA by qPCR: siRNA-mediated TP53 knockdown resulted in >90% reduction in TP53 mRNA levels in MCF10A and MCF7 cells (paired one-sided t-test, MCF10A ***p = 9.9 × 10−4, MCF7 ***p = 1.2 × 10−4, n = 3). Error bars, mean ± s.d. f, CDKN1A mRNA by qPCR: elevated CDKN1A mRNA levels following exposure to nutlin-3 in MCF10A and MCF7 cells (paired one-sided t-test, MCF10A *p = 0.02, MCF7 *p = 0.03, n = 3). Error bars, mean ± s.d. g, Cdkn1a mRNA qPCR: elevated Cdkn1a mRNA levels following Trp53 overexpression in 4T1 mouse BC cells (paired one-sided t-test, ***p = 6 × 10−4, n = 5). h, DEPDC1 mRNA (TCGA BC cohort): highest DEPDC1 expression in primary BCs with biallelic TP53 inactivation, intermediate expression in tumors with monoallelic TP53 inactivation, and lowest expression in TP53-WT tumors. Two-sided t-test, monoallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT ****p = 8.4 × 10−22; TP53-WT/del vs. TP53-WT ****p = 2.1 × 10−10; TP53-WT/mut vs. TP53-WT ****p = 1.5 × 10−21; biallelic TP53 inactivation vs. TP53-WT ****p = 8.8 × 10−57; monoallelic vs. biallelic TP53 inactivation ****p = 8.3 × 10−22. TP53-WT: n = 266, monoallelic: n = 337, TP53-WT/del: n = 287, TP53-WT/mut: n = 50, biallelic: n = 279. i, ssGSEA of p53 targets: lower p53 pathway activity in DEPDC1-high tumors (top 10%) vs. DEPDC1-low tumors (bottom 10%). Two-sided t-test, ‘KANNAN_p53_targets', ****p = 9.4 × 10−30, ‘KANNAN_p53_targets_UP' ****p = 1.9 × 10−23, ‘KANNAN_p53_targets_DN' ****p = 9.5 × 10−13. DEPDC1-high: n = 90, DEPDC1-low n = 90. j, Transcriptional signatures associated with DEPDC1 by GSEA. DEPDC1-high tumors were enriched for adipogenesis: ‘Burton_Adipogenesis-3' (red), rank #13/5844; ****p = 5.8 × 10−88). See Supplementary Table 17. k, DEPDC1 mRNA by qPCR: siRNA-mediated DEPDC1 knockdown reduced its mRNA by >90% in MDA-MB-231 cells (paired one-sided t-test, siDEPDC1(I) ****p = 2.5 × 10−7, siDEPDC1(II) ****p = 8.2 × 10−7, n = 4). l,m, DEPDC1 protein by western blot: siRNA-mediated DEPDC1 knockdown resulted in a reduction in SCD1 protein levels in four human BC cell lines. l, Representative gel. m, Quantification. Paired one-sided t-test, siDEPDC1(I), siDEPDC1(II) vs. control: MCF7 **p = 0.0023, **p = 0.001; MDA-MB-231 *p = 0.02, **p = 0.004; MDA-MB-468 **p = 0.009, *p = 0.01; SK-BR-3 **p = 0.008, **p = 0.003. n = 3. Error bars, mean ± s.d. n, DEPDC1 Chromatin IP (ChIP) in MCF10A cells: enrichment for DEPDC1 binding at the proximal promoter of SCD1. ChIP-fold enrichment over IgG, region C (paired one-sided t-test *p = 0.049 n = 3). Error bars, mean ± s.d. o,p, mRNA of SREBP1 targets. o, Higher expression of SREBP1 targets in DEPDC1-high (top 10%) vs. DEPDC1-low (bottom 10%) primary BCs (TCGA). ‘HORTON_SREBP_TARGETS', one-sided t-test **p = 0.009. DEPDC1-high n = 90, -low n = 90. p, Highest expression of SREBP1 targets in primary BCs with biallelic TP53 inactivation, and intermediate expression in tumors with monoallelic TP53 alterations compared to TP53-WT BCs. ‘Horton_SREBP_targets' one-sided t-test, TP53 biallelic vs. TP53-WT **p = 0.01; TP53 monoallelic vs. TP53-WT p = 0.09. TP53-WT: n = 266, monoallelic: TP53 n = 337, biallelic: TP53 n = 279. q,r, Metastatic capacity by ssGSEA. q, Reduced bone-metastasis signatures in DEPDC1-high tumors (top 10%, TCGA). Two-sided t-test, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone' ****p = 3.1 × 10−36, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone_up' ****p = 1.4 × 10−37, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_bone_dn' ****p = 3.9 × 10−29. DEPDC1-high n = 90, DEPDC1-low n = 90. r, Increased brain metastasis signatures in DEPDC1-high tumors (top 25%). Two-sided t-test, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain' ****p = 1.5 × 10−51, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_up', ****p = 3.6 × 10−50, ‘Smid_breast_cancer_relapse_in_brain_dn' ****p = 3.4 × 10−48. DEPDC1-high n = 223, DEPDC1-low n = 223. s, Srebf1 mRNA by qPCR: Higher Srebf1 mRNA levels in ACM-exposed Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT EMT6 cells. Paired one-sided t-test *p = 0.02. TP53-WT: n = 6, TP53-null: n = 6. t, DEPDC1 mRNA by qPCR: Higher DEPDC1 mRNA levels in ACM-exposed TP53-null vs. TP53-WT CAL51 cells. Paired one-sided t-test *p = 0.01. TP53-WT: n = 11, TP53-null: n = 11. u,v, DEPDC1 protein by western blot. u, Representative gel. v, Elevated DEPDC1 protein levels in TP53-null CAL51 cells cultured in SFM, with further increase following ACM exposure. Paired one-sided t-test, TP53-null ACM/SFM vs. TP53-WT ACM/SFM *p = 0.04. n = 4. Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range.
Source data
a, Correlation between p53 pathway activity (ssGSEA score for MSigDB signature ‘Kannan_p53_targets_dn') and sensitivity of human BC cell lines to CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of SCD1 (negative values represent increased sensitivity). Two-sided Spearman's rho = 0.29, p = 0.048. BC cell lines: n = 34. b, Comparison of drug sensitivity: Trp53-null vs. Trp53-WT EMT6 cells treated with the SCD1 inhibitor SW203668 (72 h, MTT viability readout). Trp53-null cells showed lower IC50. Paired one-sided t-test, *p = 0.02. Trp53-WT: n = 6, Trp53-null: n = 6. c, Relative viability of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null EMT6 cells treated with SCD1 inhibitor A939572 (75 nM, 72 h). Trp53-null cells were more sensitive to the drug. One-sided t-test, **p = 0.001. Trp53-WT: n = 3, Trp53-null: n = 3. d, Representative images of mCherry-labeled TP53-WT and TP53-null CAL51 cells following treatment with SW203668 (100 nM, 48 h) or vehicle control. TP53-null cells showed increased sensitivity to the drug. Scale bar = 400 µm. e, Proliferation curves of TP53-WT and TP53-null human CAL51 BC cells following treatment with SW203668 (100 nM, 72 h) or vehicle control. TP53-null cells were more sensitive to the drug. One-sided t-test: 48 h, *p = 0.03; 60 h *p = 0.02; 68 h **p = 0.01; 15 fields per experiment. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. f,g, Relative viability of TP53-WT and TP53-null CAL51 cells treated with the SCD1 inhibitors SW203668 (100 nM, 72 h; f) or A939572 (75 nM, 72 h; g). TP53-null cells were more sensitive to the drug. One-sided t-test, *p = 0.02, **p = 0.005. TP53-WT: n = 3, TP53-null: n = 3. h, Proliferation curves of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null EMT6 cells treated with SW203668 (1 µM) with or without POA (20 µM). POA rescued SCD1i-induced growth reduction (two-sided t-test, Trp53-null SCD1i vs. Trp53-null SCD1i+POA (20 µM): 24 h *p = 0.02; 28 h ***p = 3 × 10−4; 32 h ***p = 3 × 10−4; 36 h ***p = 4 × 10−4; 40 h ***p = 6.5 × 10−4; 44 h ***p = 5 × 10−4, n = 4). Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. i, Sensitivity of TP53-WT and TP53-null BC lines to RNAi-mediated knockdown of FASN. TP53-null cells are more sensitive to FASN knockdown. One-sided t-test *p = 0.02. BC cell lines: TP53-WT: n = 4, TP53-null: n = 14. j, Comparison of drug sensitivity between TP53-WT and TP53-null BC lines treated with the FASN inhibitor C75 (AUC values, GDSC102). TP53-null cells were more sensitive to the drug. One-sided t-test *p = 0.03. BC cell lines, TP53-WT: n = 3, TP53-null: n = 2. k,l, Representative images (k) and proliferation curves (l) of mCherry-labeled Trp53-WT and Trp53-null EMT6 cells treated with C75 (20 µM, 28 h). Trp53-null cells were more sensitive to the drug. One-sided t-test **p = 0.01 at 24 h, **p = 0.005 at 28 h. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. m, Comparison of drug sensitivity between TP53-WT and TP53-null EMT6 cells treated with C75 (72 h, MTT viability readout). Trp53-null cells were more sensitive to the drug. Paired one-sided t-test, *p = 0.02, n = 6. n, Proliferation curves of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null EMT6 cells cultured as 3D spheroids and treated with SW203668 (0.1 µM or 3 µM) or vehicle control. Trp53-null spheroids were more sensitive to the drug. One-sided t-test 0.1 µM: 36 h *p = 0.02; 48 h *p = 0.03; 60 h and 72 h *p = 0.02; 3 µM: 48 h **p = 0.005; 60 h ***p = 9 × 10−4; 72 h ***p = 9 × 10−4. Trp53-WT: n = 3, Trp53-null: n = 3. Error bars, mean ± s.e.m. o, Quantification of spheroid area of Trp53-WT and Trp53-null EMT6 cells treated with C75 (20 µM, 48 h) or vehicle control. Trp53-null spheroids were smaller following drug treatment. One-sided t-test, ****p = 2 × 10−4. Trp53-WT: n = 3, Trp53-null: n = 3. p, Fraction of apoptotic cells, measured by staining for cleaved-caspase-3, in human BCBM organotypic cultures treated with the SCD1i SW203668 (3 µM) or vehicle control. Treated organotypic cultures showed a higher fraction of apoptotic cells. Paired one-sided t-test, *p = 0.02, n = 3 BCBM samples. q. Fraction of Ki67+ cells in human BM slices treated with the SCD1i SW203668 (3 µM) or vehicle control. Trend towards reduced proliferation was observed (17% decrease, paired one-sided t-test, p = 0.13, n = 5). Boxplots: bar = median; box = 25–75th percentile; whiskers = range.
Source data
Supplementary Notes 1–51, Supplementary Figs. 1–16, Supplementary Methods and supporting data for Supplementary Figs. 4, 6, 10 and 14.
Supplementary Tables 1–19.
Supporting data for Supplementary Figs. 1–8, 10–15.
Source data for Figs. 1a–e,i,m,n, 2a,c,g–i,k,n,p, 3b,d,g,i,l,n,p,r, 4a–f,h,i,l,n–p,r,t–v,x,z, 5a–d,f,g,i,k,l,n–r,t,u,w, 6a,d–h,j,k,m–s,u and 7a,b,d,e,g,j,k,n, and Extended Data Figs. 1a–c,e,g,i–k, 2e–g, 3a,b,d,f–i,l,m,o,p, 4c–e,h–j, 5a–f,h,i,g, 6a–h,j,l–n, 7a–k,m,o, 8a–d,f,g,i,k–p,r, 9d–k,m–t and 10a–c,e–j,l–q.
Unprocessed western blots.
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Acting as a consultant enables academics to share their expertise, develop their skills and bring funding to organizations. Credit: Getty
Universities have three core missions: research, teaching and societal impact. The third is increasingly defined in commercial terms. The number of intellectual property licences has increased and more spin-out companies are being formed. This shift is supported by an independent review of spin-out practices1, standardized investment guidance2 and the professionalization of university technology-transfer offices3.
The future of universities
The future of universities
By contrast, academic consulting work, one of the most direct and scalable means by which academics can shape industry, government and civil society, remains underdeveloped (see ‘Consulting gap').
Consulting work and other routes for exchanging knowledge are often treated as administrative functions. Such activities are defined and measured inconsistently and receive limited recognition in evaluations of research-related innovation. At a time when universities are struggling financially and academic research is often seen as distant from people's everyday concerns, that must change.
Here, we call for universities to make it easier for academics to carry out consulting work. If the work is properly supported, it can diversify income, build enduring partnerships and ensure that research delivers a tangible impact.
There are widespread benefits to academics offering their advice to outside organizations for a fee. For higher-education institutions, consulting work can provide a flexible stream of income at a time of financial strain. It can foster partnerships with industry and government that generate collaborative research, joint ventures and fresh sources of funding.
It reinforces universities' reputation as engines of applied knowledge and economic and societal impact. For example, one small software team at the University of Southampton, UK, turned open-source verification tools into more than £600,000 (US$799,000) of consulting income by advising on safety-critical railway systems between 2014 and 2021 (see go.nature.com/44ueoch).
For academics, consulting also offers professional development, wider networks, financial reward and real-world experience. It creates career porosity between academia, industry and policy, opening routes into leadership roles. For example, consulting can underpin the spin-out-company model: an academic who created intellectual property might be engaged as a ‘fractional executive' through a consulting contract, allowing them to contribute to the company and develop leadership skills. Consulting work also enriches the research culture of higher-education institutions, giving academics direct feedback on how their work is used in practice, informing grant proposals and strengthening career progression.
Sources: Value of consulting market, Office for National Statistics; Academic consulting, IP and spin-out data, Higher Education Statistics Agency
For society, consulting accelerates the application of knowledge to national priorities, such as clean energy, health and social policy. It provides a mechanism for organizations to benefit from publicly funded research. It also ensures university expertise is applied beyond the campus walls, and can feed back into teaching with real-world case studies that better prepare graduates for the workforce.
Higher-education institutions could embed modules that simulate the practice of consulting engagements to enhance students' understanding of work. In one example, industry-led consulting projects were developed at Henley Business School, UK, to give master's students hands-on experience.
Consulting, therefore, is one of the most immediate channels through which universities can deliver societal impact. These projects are typically shorter in duration and easier to set up than other routes to impact, such as spin-out companies. Yet, across most institutions, consulting receives limited attention.
Using data from the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency on the number of consultancy contracts and academic staff at nine universities, we found that less than 10% of academic staff, on average, engaged in consulting work. Academic consulting is worth roughly £500–600 million per year (£566 million in 2023–24). That's equivalent to 0.6% of the UK management consulting market value (£92 billion according to the Office for National Statistics), or 2.8% of the sector, based on the definition of the London-based Management Consultancies Association (£20.4 billion).
Over the past decade, the number of academic consulting contracts has fallen by 38% from around 99,000 in 2014–15 to fewer than 62,000 in 2023–24. Higher average values of contracts have driven some growth, with the linear trend in total academic consultancy income rising by 31% from 2014–15 to 2023–24. But that falls short of the trend in the UK management consulting sector, which was 51% over that period.
Some institutions have demonstrated what is possible. In 2023–24, 17 UK universities earned more than £10 million annually from consulting work across a vast range of disciplines and industries, including drug-development advice, advanced materials testing, digital health evaluation, engineering analysis, and policy and socio-economic consulting.
Medical parasitology consultant Wellington Oyibo reports on anti-malaria strategies.Credit: Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty
Data are less available for institutions in other countries; limited information (including personal communications with US technology-transfer offices) suggests that consulting income typically does not make up a large share of institutional turnover. This suggests a global underutilization of academic expertise through consulting, even among the world's most research-intensive universities — and a lost revenue stream for higher education. Management consulting alone in the United States was valued at $407 billion in 2025, according to market research firm IBIS World.
Private consultancy firms are increasingly moving into this underexploited market, capturing opportunities that universities neglect. Small-scale (under £5,000), fast-turnaround, one-off projects are commonly sidelined by university contract offices because they represent too small an income for strained institutional resources, creating space for contract-research organizations and technical consultancies with the agility to capture this demand. If universities do not act, global professional services firms will continue to dominate the space in which academic insight could deliver direct societal benefit.
Weak institutional policies on consulting are one reason for this missed opportunity. We examined policies at 30 universities hosting at least 5 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellows — a 7-year fellowship programme designed to develop research and innovation leaders in academia and business — supplemented by surveys of 76 fellows and interviews with technology-transfer staff at the same universities. Our analysis reflects practices across a subset of research-intensive institutions, including our own, and is intended to inform sector-wide discussion rather than prescribe a single model.
Great science happens in great teams — research assessments must try to capture that
Great science happens in great teams — research assessments must try to capture that
The results reveal a fragmented system. Two-thirds of the universities we surveyed have publicly available policies, two of which prohibit private consulting. Permitted university-contracted time for consulting ranges from unlimited to 30 days or fewer per year, or to personal time only. Institutional charges range from 10–40% of consulting fees.
When we conducted interviews with staff who manage academic consulting services across multiple UK universities, administrative delays and inconsistent incentives or recognition of consulting were often cited as common issues. The result is a patchwork of practice, in which opportunities depend less on expertise and more on institutional flexibility.
The financial outcomes for academics vary widely, from flexible fees agreed between client and academic to university-set day rates. Some academics choose to put their consulting income into research accounts at their institution to support their group or department, but whether this is permitted, and on what terms, varies between universities and even across departments in the same institution. At some organizations, up to 50% of an individual's earnings can be diverted into institutional research funds.
Services to support academic consulting also differ between universities and within them, with some departments or technology-transfer offices providing insurance, contracting and negotiation support, and other institutions providing none. Contract approvals range from a 24-hour turnaround to months of negotiations. Faced with these obstacles, some academics turn to private consulting conducted outside their employment contracts, often without legal cover and sometimes in breach of institutional terms.
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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-04104-2
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We thank Alex Driussi for his valuable support with graphics. We thank Anthony Chesebro for useful discussions. The research presented here was funded by the Baszucki Brain Research Fund, United States (LRMP). This work was supported in part by the Office of Naval Research, United States : N00014-21-1-2290 (RG). The experiments were funded by Office of Naval Research, United States : MURI N00014-23-1-2768 and MURI W911NF2410228, National Institute of Mental Health : 1R01MH131715-01, Freedom Together Foundation, and The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory (EKM).
Dept. of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
Anand Pathak & Richard Granger
The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Scott L. Brincat, Evan G. Antzoulatos & Earl K. Miller
Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Haris Organtzidis, Helmut H. Strey, Sageanne Senneff & Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi
Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi
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Conceptualization: A.P., H.H.S., L.R.M.P., E.K.M., and R.G. Data curation: S.L.B., E.G.A., and E.K.M. Formal analysis: A.P. and R.G. Funding acquisition: H.H.S., L.R.M.P., E.K.M., and R.G. Investigation: A.P. and R.G. Methodology: A.P. and R.G. Project administration: L.R.M.P. Software: A.P., H.O., S.S., and H.H.S. Supervision: H.H.S., L.R.M.P., E.K.M., and R.G. Validation: A.P. Visualization: A.P., L.R.M.P., and R.G. Writing - original draft: A.P. and R.G. Writing - review & editing: A.P., S.L.B., H.H.S., L.R.M.P., E.K.M., and R.G.
Correspondence to
Richard Granger.
The authors declare the following competing interests: authors RG, EKM, LRMP, and HHS are co-Founders of Neuroblox Inc., a company spun out of SUNYSB, MIT, and Dartmouth to develop a commercial-grade software platform for multi-scale computational neuroscience with applications to diagnosis and treatment of brain-based disorders. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks Garrison Cottrell, Tomoki Fukai, Jung Lee and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Pathak, A., Brincat, S.L., Organtzidis, H. et al. Biomimetic model of corticostriatal micro-assemblies discovers a neural code.
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Time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (tr-RIXS) is a powerful technique for probing quasiparticle interactions in quantum materials under nonequilibrium conditions. Here, we implement tr-RIXS at the carbon K-edge to investigate the ultrafast dynamics of core excitons coupled to vibrational modes in graphite. Using femtosecond X-ray pulses from a free-electron laser, we monitor the temporal evolution of vibronically dressed excitons and their interaction with symmetry-selective optical phonons. By tuning the incident photon energy across the 1s → σ* resonance and analyzing the integrated inelastic sideband intensity, we reveal a detuning-controlled crossover between two complementary dynamical regimes. Phenomenological modeling and first-principles calculations reproduce both the magnitude and detuning dependence of the spectral-weight changes. In this work, enabled by the unique capabilities of X-ray free-electron lasers, we demonstrate how tr-RIXS can access coupled electronic and lattice dynamics with elemental and symmetry specificity, opening new routes to control vibronic interactions in light-element and low-dimensional quantum materials.
The data that support the findings of this study, including raw and processed RIXS spectra, XAS profiles, and analysis outputs, are publicly available in the Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. repository under the title Dataset of Ultrafast dynamics of vibronically dressed core excitons in graphite at https://doi.org/10.34965/i53456. Source data for Figs. 1-4 and Supplementary Figs. are provided with the paper.
All analysis scripts and fitting routines used in this study are available in the same repository at https://doi.org/10.34965/i53456under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
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We acknowledge the assistance of the staff at FERMI during the beamtimes 20209081 and 20214052. M.M. thanks Dr. Carlo Alberto Brondin (ISM-CNR) for the preparation of graphite crystals.
Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Trieste, Italy
Marco Malvestuto, Richa Bhardwaj, Antonio Caretta, Simone Laterza, Fulvio Parmigiani, Michele Manfredda, Alberto Simoncig, Marco Zangrando, Alexander Demidovich, Peter Susnjar, Enrico Massimiliano Allaria, Alexander Darius Brynes, David Garzella, Luca Giannessi, Primož Rebernik & Filippo Sottocorona
CNR - Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM), Trieste, Italy
Marco Malvestuto & Marco Zangrando
Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Beatrice Volpato, Elena Babici & Fulvio Parmigiani
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, UK
Alexander Darius Brynes
Centre for Advanced Laser Techniques, Institute of Physics, Zagreb, Croatia
Dino Novko
Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Dino Novko
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M.M., A.C., R.B., and S.L. carried out the experiment, collected the data, and contributed to the preliminary analysis. B.V. and E.B. participated in the data analysis. The theoretical investigation was conducted by D.N., M.M., and A.C. were responsible for the MagneDyn endstation. P.R., E.M.A., A.D.B., L.G., D.G., and F.S. optimized the accelerator and provided the FEL beam. M.Ma., A.S., and M.Z. optimized the optical transport of the MagneDyn beamline and characterized the FEL pulses. A.C., A.D., and P.S. optimized the optical laser system. S.L., D.N., and F.P. contributed to the revision of the manuscript. M.M. wrote the manuscript, which all authors discussed. M.M. proposed and led the project.
Correspondence to
Marco Malvestuto.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks MengXing (Ketty) Na, and the other anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Malvestuto, M., Volpato, B., Babici, E. et al. Ultrafast dynamics of vibronically dressed core excitons in graphite: a femtosecond RIXS perspective.
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TSMC has quietly revealed that it had commenced volume production of chips using its N2 (2nm-class) fabrication process. The company did not issue a formal press release notifying about the production start, but the firm had said multiple times that N2 was on track for volume manufacturing in Q4, so the plan has been fulfilled.
"TSMC's 2nm (N2) technology has started volume production in 4Q25 as planned," a statement at TSMC's web page dedicated to 2nm Technology reads.
From an improvement standpoint, N2 is designed to deliver a 10%–15% performance gain at the same power, a 25%–30% reduction in power at the same performance, and a 15% increase in transistor density compared to N3E for mixed designs that include logic, analog, and SRAM. For logic-only designs, transistor density is up to 20% higher than N3E.
N2 vs N3E
N2P vs N3E
N2P vs N2
A16 vs N2P
N2X vs N2P
Power**
-25% ~ -30%
-36%
-5% ~ -10%
-15% ~ -20%
lower
Performance***
10% - 15%
18%
5% - 10%
8% - 10%
10%
Density*
1.15x
1.15x
?
1.07x - 1.10x
?
Transistor
GAA
GAA
GAA
GAA
GAA
Power Delivery
Front-side w/ SHPMIM
Front-side w/ SHPMIM
Front-side w/ SHPMIM
SPR
Front-side w/ SHPMIM (?)
HVM
H2 2025
H2 2026
H2 2026
H2 2026
2027
*Chip density published by TSMC reflects 'mixed' chip density consisting of 50% logic, 30% SRAM, and 20% analog.**At the same speed. ***At the same power.
TSMC's N2 is the company's first process node to adopt gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet transistors, where the gate fully surrounds the channel formed by stacked horizontal nanosheets. This geometry improves electrostatic control, reduces leakage, and enables smaller transistors without sacrificing performance or power efficiency, ultimately increasing transistor density. In addition, N2 also adds super-high-performance metal-insulator-metal (SHPMIM) capacitors to the power delivery network. These offer more than twice the capacitance density of the prior SHDMIM design and cut both sheet resistance (Rs) and via resistance (Rc) by 50%, which improves power stability, performance, and overall energy efficiency.
"N2 is well on track for volume production later this quarter, with good yield," said C.C. Wei, chief executive of TSMC, during the company's earnings call in October. "We expect a faster ramp in 2026, fueled by both smartphone and HPC AI applications."
What is interesting is that the company began to make 2nm-class chips at its Fab 22, which is located near Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Previously it was expected that TSMC would begin ramping up N2 production at Fab 20 (near Hsinchu, Taiwan), which is adjacent to its new global R&D center, where N2-series fabrication technologies were developed. Fab 20 will likely commence mass production a bit later.
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TSMC will be ramping up mass production of N2-based chips at brand-new fabs, which is always a bit tricky. What is noteworthy is that the company will ramp production of both smartphone and larger 'AI' and 'HPC' designs at new fabs (note that HPC is a vague term that describes everything from game console SoCs all the way to heavy-duty server CPUs), which will add some additional complexities. Normally, TSMC ramps new nodes with mobile and small consumer designs.
Ramping up two N2-capable fabs at once is a result of strong interest for the new process technology by a variety of TSMC partners, so it needs to offer decent capacity for all of them. Furthermore, starting late 2026, both fabs will be used to build chips on N2P, a performance-enhanced version of N2, and A16, a version of N2P with the Super Power Rail backside power delivery that is aimed at complex AI and HPC processors.
"With our strategy of continuous enhancements, we will also introduce N2P as an extension of our N2 family," Wei added. "N2P features further performance and power benefits on top of N2 and volume production scheduled for second half 2026. We also introduced A16 featuring our best-in-class Super Power Rail, or SPR. A16 is best suited for specific HPC products with complex signal routes and dense power delivery networks. Volume production is on track for second half 2026."
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Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom's Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.
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by Taylor Soper on Dec 29, 2025 at 9:22 amDecember 29, 2025 at 9:22 am
Founders in the Seattle area are busy building software for health insurance, AI model tuning, construction processes, and hospital operations.
Our latest Startup Radar spotlights four early stage tech startups in the region: Amera, Clara, Oiyko, and Specbook.
Read on for brief descriptions of each company — along with pitch assessments from “Mean VC,” a GPT-powered critic offering a mix of encouragement and constructive criticism.
Check out past Startup Radar posts here, and email me at [email protected] to flag other companies and startup news.
Founded: 2025
The business: Targeting health insurance payers with software that automates the claims processing workflow. Its product converts medical claim documents into structured data, replacing manual entry and supporting newer payment models. Amera is generating revenue, working with multiple plan administrators, and participating in the Fall 2025 cohort at Y Combinator.
Leadership: CEO Deep Kapur previously worked at Microsoft, Protocol Labs, and most recently Rupa Health. Co-founder Louise Tanski was also at Rupa Health and co-founded Moonshot Brands (acquired by Infinite Commerce).
Mean VC: “You're solving a real pain point in healthcare admin, and early revenue plus YC traction suggest you're on the right track. The key will be proving your structured data actually drives measurable cost or accuracy improvements — not just faster paperwork.”
Founded: 2022
The business: A self-described “AI-powered operating room orchestration” platform for hospitals. Clara aims to be like Apple's “Find My” app, but for patient care, helping hospital staff quickly locate equipment and people. The company has raised around $375,000 and is working with a lab at the University of Washington on a non-clinical pilot.
Leadership: CEO Melinda Yormick has more than a decade of operating room experience as a registered nurse and nurse manager. She was named a 2025 “Up and Comer” at the PSBJ Healthcare Leadership Awards. Co-founder Aaron Cooke was previously a senior software engineer at Viome and Julep.
Mean VC: “The problem is clear to anyone who's worked in a hospital, and your background gives you credibility where it counts. But unless you can tie this to patient outcomes or hard ROI, hospital budgets may treat it as a luxury.”
Founded: 2025
The business: Helps companies fine-tune AI models using their own data, enabling employees to add business-specific context. The company is participating in WTIA's startup accelerator.
Leadership: Co-founders Saptak Sen and Suchi Mohan first met at Microsoft in India in 2001. Sen, the CEO at Oiyko, was most recently a vice president at Tetrate and head of container integrations at AWS. Mohan was a senior technical program manager at Microsoft for more than four years.
Mean VC: “Fine-tuning with business context is a sharp idea, especially as enterprises grow wary of generic AI outputs. Still, you'll need to show how you differ from the wave of enterprise LLM tooling coming from giants and better-funded peers.”
Founded: 2025
The business: Builds AI agents for industrial and civic projects that can quickly analyze data and perform tasks such as design reviews and reviewing construction submittals. Specbook is working with large construction companies and municipalities. Contracted revenue is in the six figures.
Leadership: Co-founders Gordon Hempton and Wes Hather co-founded Outreach, the Seattle-based sales software company. More recently they launched two startups: B2B sales software company FullContext and virtual work platform Spot.
Mean VC: “Digitizing construction reviews and civic workflows is overdue, and six-figure contracts suggest you're solving a real pain. To scale, you'll need to prove your product can handle diverse requirements without slipping into custom consulting.”
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by Kurt Schlosser on Dec 29, 2025 at 9:05 amDecember 29, 2025 at 9:05 am
Holiday cheers turned to jeers directed at Amazon last week as some film fans were surprised by a gutted version of the Christmas classic “It's a Wonderful Life” on Prime Video.
The 1946 film stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a man who learns the value of his life after seeing what the world would be like without him.
In a story on Christmas Day, the New York Post called out Amazon for airing a “butchered” version of the film that is shorter than the original and missing a key sequence that the newspaper calls “the movie's emotional core.”
Unsuspecting viewers who clicked on the cut copy vented on social media, calling it “an abomination” and “sacrilege.”
A search of the movie title on Prime Video on Monday morning brought up a few options, including a black and white version, a color version, and one clearly marked “abridged.” That version included a description which read, in part, “a condensed ending but still contains all the sweetness and Christmas wonder.”
It's unclear if Amazon recently added the “abridged” labeling on that version. We reached out to the company for comment and will update when we hear back.
The Post story, and an accompanying video (below), detailed how the missing sequence factors into the film as a distraught George Bailey — who wishes he'd never been born — sees how his hometown of Bedford Falls devolves into a corrupt, neon-lit “Pottersville” without his existence.
The sequence helps Bailey realize how important his simple life is in shaping the fate of many, and his despair turns to joy.
The existence of the shorter version of the movie is not the work of Amazon editors, but rather is rooted in the copyright history of the film, as the Post points out.
A 2022 University of Connecticut law school blog post explains how the film fell into the public domain when its distributor failed to renew its copyright in 1974. This lapse helped turn “It's a Wonderful Life” into a holiday classic because TV stations freely aired the movie for decades around Christmas without paying royalties.
In the 1990s, Republic Pictures regained control of the movie when it argued that it held properly maintained rights to two underlying elements: the original short story “The Greatest Gift,” by Philip Van Doren Stern, and the musical score by Dimitri Timokin.
Television networks were directed to stop playing “It's a Wonderful Life” without permission or the payment of royalties. The Post reported that the abridged version appears to be a workaround that removes the “Pottersville” sequence to avoid infringing on a key portion most directly adapted from the short story.
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by Todd Bishop on Dec 29, 2025 at 8:51 amDecember 29, 2025 at 8:51 am
A Kirkland, Wash.-based tech company is suing its New York-based acquisition advisor, alleging it was pushed into a $5.2 million acquisition that was supposed to generate $1 million annually but has instead required ongoing cash infusions just to stay afloat.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of SmarTek21, a longtime technology consulting services firm, accuses TGP GP Management of “egregiously defective due diligence” in its May 2025 acquisition of IT Avalon, another U.S.-based tech consulting company.
According to the complaint, Tortuga Growth Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, acquired a minority stake in SmarTek21 in 2024. Its affiliate, TGP GP Management, a management and acquisition advisory firm, entered into an agreement to advise SmarTek21 on acquisitions and related matters.
TGP responded in a statement: “TGP strongly disputes the allegations in this complaint and stands by the comprehensive due diligence process conducted for the IT Avalon acquisition.”
The lawsuit was filed Dec. 18 in King County Superior Court in Seattle by Totem Lake Investments II, the majority owner of SmarTek21. Totem Lake Investments is led by SmarTek21 CEO Alkarim Lalji. The suit seeks at least $6 million in damages, plus punitive damages and other relief.
According to the complaint, TGP almost immediately began pressuring SmarTek21 to acquire IT Avalon, as a complementary business that would augment SmarTek21's existing model and diversify its customer base. The suit says TGP represented that IT Avalon would generate at least $1 million annually in free cash flow, before other benefits from the combination.
The complaint alleges that TGP's principal Ashray Prasad dismissed concerns raised by SmarTek21 executives about IT Avalon's deteriorating finances in the days before closing. According to the suit, Prasad repeatedly called Lalji urging him to close the deal — placing many of these calls while Lalji was undergoing treatment for a serious medical condition.
The lawsuit alleges TGP pursued the IT Avalon acquisition out of “enthusiasm for transaction fees, publicity, and the appearance of quick deal-making.”
According to the suit, IT Avalon's revenue had been declining since 2022, and its operating income had dropped significantly, while its vendor relationships deteriorated.
TGP structured the deal so that any working capital shortfall would be offset against future earnout payments to IT Avalon's sellers. But that proved worthless, the suit alleges, because IT Avalon had almost no chance of hitting the revenue targets that would trigger those payments.
In its statement, TGP disputed these claims.
“IT Avalon is a strong technology business with valuable client relationships,” it said. “The combined entity now benefits from an expanded client base, talented personnel, and a robust pipeline of opportunities. We intend to vigorously defend against these baseless claims.”
The dispute illustrates the complicated nature of private equity-led technology roll-up strategies, in which smaller companies are combined to create larger platforms.
The acquisition of IT Avalon in May was the second in six months for SmarTek21, following its earlier combination with Retro Rabbit, a South Africa-based product design firm, according to a press release by Tortuga Growth Partners announcing the IT Avalon deal at the time.
“We are building a category-defining platform,” said TGP's Prasad, who is also a member of SmarTek21's board of managers, in the press release. He added that the completion of the second acquisition over that time frame reflected “the momentum behind SmarTek21's growth.”
According to the company's public materials, SmarTek21 provides product engineering and enterprise software services to Fortune 250 clients in industries including financial services, healthcare, and telecom. It says it has more than 650 associates across the U.S., India, and South Africa.
IT Avalon, founded in 2012, provides technology consulting services to clients in financial services, healthcare, gaming, and hospitality. The May press release announcing the deal described the company as having a 95% client retention rate.
Lalji and SmarTek21 did not respond to requests for comment. See the full complaint below.
SmarTek21 v. TGP Management by GeekWire
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This is the only line I was looking for. I stopped buying on Steam sometime ago because I realized I was just renting licenses. GOG is the only major storefront where I feel like I actually own the product. As long as offline installers remain a core tenet, I don't care who owns the company. That said, it helps that it's someone returning to their roots rather than a private equity firm looking to strip-mine the assets.
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What is a company/individual if not a reseller if they're selling Steam keys? You cannot sell Steam keys without being Steam or the developer itself, and not be called a "reseller". Or what sites are you referring to here, stuff like Humble Bundle where you get Steam keys with the bundles?
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Real stores sell steam keys because they are selling directly from the developers. Steam is actually nice (or preempting monopoly talk, depending on your view) in that it allows that (I think there are limits, but IIRC rather generous)
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You can sync up your Steam wishlist (it's a little weird to setup but once you figured it out it works).I almost never buy games directly from steam anymore, there's almost always someone else with a discount on steam keys.And sometimes GOG has the best deal!
I almost never buy games directly from steam anymore, there's almost always someone else with a discount on steam keys.And sometimes GOG has the best deal!
And sometimes GOG has the best deal!
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For the duration of your life, to be fair.
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Delisted games tend to stay in your library for redownload.I never understood the cynicism for digital media, it's been multiple decades now and the model clearly works.Obviously I prefer zero DRM but it's also not a general requirement as long as it's reasonable and stays out of the way like it does on Steam.
I never understood the cynicism for digital media, it's been multiple decades now and the model clearly works.Obviously I prefer zero DRM but it's also not a general requirement as long as it's reasonable and stays out of the way like it does on Steam.
Obviously I prefer zero DRM but it's also not a general requirement as long as it's reasonable and stays out of the way like it does on Steam.
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If you buy and download something from GOG, it is yours. You can still play it in the next millenium as long as you have suitable hardware or an emulator.
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> Is GOG financially unstable? No. GOG is stable and has had a really encouraging year. In fact, we've seen more enthusiasm from gamers towards our mission than ever before.I'm really happy to hear this, as I always feared their hard stance on no-DRM would scare off publishers and developers, but seems that fear might have been overstated. This year I personally also started buying more games on GOG than Steam, even when they were available on Stream. Prior to 2025 I almost exclusively used Steam unless it wasn't available there, but now GOG is #1 :)Glad it's moving in even better directions, thank you Team GOG!
I'm really happy to hear this, as I always feared their hard stance on no-DRM would scare off publishers and developers, but seems that fear might have been overstated. This year I personally also started buying more games on GOG than Steam, even when they were available on Stream. Prior to 2025 I almost exclusively used Steam unless it wasn't available there, but now GOG is #1 :)Glad it's moving in even better directions, thank you Team GOG!
Glad it's moving in even better directions, thank you Team GOG!
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Companies with strong financial performance don't tend to use words like "encouraging". That is the language you get from companies that are in trouble and hoping for recovery.Talking about people's enthusiasm for their mission is just straight up dodging the question itself.
Talking about people's enthusiasm for their mission is just straight up dodging the question itself.
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01.01.2025 to 30.09.2025 net profit 910 thousand PLN I think.01.01.2024 to 30.09.2024 net profit 32 thousand PLN.With "from 1 January to 30 September 2025: 4.2365 PLN/EUR and from 1 January to 30 September 2024:4.3022 PLN/EUR."It is not that much. So splitting it off probably make sense for the CD Projekt.
01.01.2024 to 30.09.2024 net profit 32 thousand PLN.With "from 1 January to 30 September 2025: 4.2365 PLN/EUR and from 1 January to 30 September 2024:4.3022 PLN/EUR."It is not that much. So splitting it off probably make sense for the CD Projekt.
With "from 1 January to 30 September 2025: 4.2365 PLN/EUR and from 1 January to 30 September 2024:4.3022 PLN/EUR."It is not that much. So splitting it off probably make sense for the CD Projekt.
It is not that much. So splitting it off probably make sense for the CD Projekt.
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If I am wrong and GOG is something completely different, then let's build something like this together! (a marketplace of offline installers!)
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“GOG stands for freedom, independence, and genuine control.”
But actually, it stands (stood?) for Good Old Games. :)
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But while gog was talking, Valve was actually doing. Building an actual Linux client. Making multiplayer actually work. Not to mention all the work they've done with Proton and upstreamimg graphics drivers.I hope gog succeeds. I just value Linux gaming support over not having DRM. It's kinda a idealist vs realist stance for me.
I hope gog succeeds. I just value Linux gaming support over not having DRM. It's kinda a idealist vs realist stance for me.
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I picked up a bargain bin CD ROM of this game in 1996 and it works under dosbox as well as it ever did. Which is to say mostly ok but sometimes hilariously crashy. I think what needs to happen for us to spend another 30 years crafting overpowered plate mail is for there to continue being good emulators for the mid 90s DOS environment.
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CD Project makes great games, but gaming industry is all-or-nothing. They already had colossal flop at their previous release. If another flop happens shutting down GOG is clearly would be on a table as a cost cutting measure.
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You have to give kudos to CD PROJEKT for not just abandoning the game after a bad launch (which is what every other major studio would have done in its place) but patiently fixing problems and constantly adding content over 5 years to get to the state it is in today. And the game has no online requirement, no multiplayer, no microtransactions. Just one paid expansion which added a ton of new content. Rare to see this behavior in the industry today.
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Afaik CDPR doesn't make many games. If one flops, that might be the end of them. I don't see abandoning a game as a valid option for them from a financial perspective. Makes much more sense to fix the issues and sell more.
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> Why is CD PROJECT doing this?> Selling GOG fits CD PROJEKT's long-term strategy. CD PROJEKT wants to focus its full attention on creating top-quality RPGs and providing our fans with other forms of entertainment based on our brands. This deal lets CD PROJEKT keep that focus, while GOG gets stronger backing to pursue its own mission.> What is GOG's position in this?> To us at GOG, this feels like the best way to accelerate what is unique about GOG. Michał Kiciński is one of the people who created GOG around a simple idea: bring classic games back, and make sure that once you purchase a game, you have control over it forever. With him acquiring GOG, we keep long-term backing that is aligned with our values: freedom, independence, control, and making games stay playable over time.
> Selling GOG fits CD PROJEKT's long-term strategy. CD PROJEKT wants to focus its full attention on creating top-quality RPGs and providing our fans with other forms of entertainment based on our brands. This deal lets CD PROJEKT keep that focus, while GOG gets stronger backing to pursue its own mission.> What is GOG's position in this?> To us at GOG, this feels like the best way to accelerate what is unique about GOG. Michał Kiciński is one of the people who created GOG around a simple idea: bring classic games back, and make sure that once you purchase a game, you have control over it forever. With him acquiring GOG, we keep long-term backing that is aligned with our values: freedom, independence, control, and making games stay playable over time.
> What is GOG's position in this?> To us at GOG, this feels like the best way to accelerate what is unique about GOG. Michał Kiciński is one of the people who created GOG around a simple idea: bring classic games back, and make sure that once you purchase a game, you have control over it forever. With him acquiring GOG, we keep long-term backing that is aligned with our values: freedom, independence, control, and making games stay playable over time.
> To us at GOG, this feels like the best way to accelerate what is unique about GOG. Michał Kiciński is one of the people who created GOG around a simple idea: bring classic games back, and make sure that once you purchase a game, you have control over it forever. With him acquiring GOG, we keep long-term backing that is aligned with our values: freedom, independence, control, and making games stay playable over time.
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Third option is to ensure the downloader runs under proton, which I think it does but haven't tried.
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https://gogapidocs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/The problem is mostly that their backend isn't wired for Linux builds so you can't use the APIs for native Linux versions.
The problem is mostly that their backend isn't wired for Linux builds so you can't use the APIs for native Linux versions.
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I always felt a bit sad that before I could just KNOW that it'll work that's gog! but since that time I always have to double check and by that point why not just use steam?
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Reading time 2 minutes
Stranger Things has just one more episode left in the tank, which means, for the particularly fearful fans among us, one more chance for the show to make some big sacrifices in its final season to stop Vecna once and for all. The show has definitely been teasing the potential for some big tragedies to occur, but fear not, aforementioned fearful fans: you won't necessarily spend your New Year's Eve in horror as Hawkins' finest get wiped out.
“It's not Game of Thrones. We're not in Westeros. I love Game of Thrones, but it's just a very different type of show than that,” Matt Duffer recently flatly told The Hollywood Reporter about the fatal stakes coming into the final episode of the show. “There's not going to be a Red Wedding situation.”
Instead, the showrunners want the show's end to focus on a feeling of satisfaction, rather than necessarily shock value. “I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we're not trying to shock or upset anyone,” Duffer continued. “I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there's something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn't feel painful but feels satisfying. We'll see.”
But for all that talk of less pain and more resolution, that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be a final sacrifice by anyone on the show… and that it still won't be a prominent character. The Duffer brothers are painfully aware that poor Steve Harrington has been getting death flag after death flag spotted by fans as the show's progressed, making him an oft-dreaded candidate for most likely to die in the series finale—but naturally they're still staying mum until the credits roll on if he'll make it out of the show in one piece.
“But as for Steve's fate. I don't know. I can't say. It would be the next logical step. He keeps getting beaten up more and more,” Matt Duffer joked. “The only way we could take it further is death.”
The final episode of Stranger Things hits both Netflix and theaters in a limited capacity this Wednesday, December 31.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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The final battle begins December 31—but first, we have praise and a few nitpicks to pass along to Netflix and the Duffer Brothers.
Before hitting the endgame, 'Stranger Things' had to tie off some threads and help the Hawkins gang get their heads in the game.
The actor behind Vecna, Henry, and Mr. Whatsit breaks down his complex role in season five.
However, viewers were kept in the dark until season five's second batch of episodes, now streaming on Netflix.
Season five's second volume has some familiar padding, but it mostly satisfies as the Netflix show races toward its end.
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All rights reserved.
Reading time 3 minutes
We're not ending 2025 without a last bit of awful news: Wildlife officials are sounding the alarm about a dangerous brain illness spreading among deer in North America.
Over the last several weeks, officials in Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Manitoba, Canada, have reported cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in new areas. The mad cow-like illness can spread easily between deer and has a 100% fatality rate. In addition to its ecological impact, the infection may also pose a potential health threat to humans, particularly hunters.
Prions are perhaps the strangest pathogen around.
They're the misfolded form of a normally harmless protein found in the brain (also confusingly called the prion protein). When a rogue prion encounters its regular counterpart, it somehow forces the latter to misfold as well, almost like a zombie infection. Over time, this amassing army of bad prions will destroy the animal's brain, leading to death.
The ‘Molecular Devils' That Cause the Most Fatal Diseases Ever Known
Prion diseases have been found in many animals, humans included. The most infamous one might be bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease. Much like mad cow, deer and related cervids afflicted with CWD will experience neurological symptoms like confusion, trouble walking, and rapid weight loss (the titular wasting).
CWD was first discovered in the U.S. over 50 years ago, though it took longer for scientists to determine that prions are behind it. And it's been spreading further across North America ever since. Cases have now been documented in at least 36 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.
In mid-December, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reported three cases of CWD in hunter-harvested white-tailed deer. These cases were found in Grant and Sevier counties, where CWD had never previously been detected (the first ever case in Arkansas was reported in 2016). Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed its first positive CWD test result of a deer in La Crosse County. That same week, the Manitoba Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures reported five new cases of CWD, two of which were in previously undetected areas (the first CWD case in Manitoba was documented in 2021).
The increasing presence of CWD in North America is concerning for several reasons.
CWD can be transmitted relatively easily, compared to other prion diseases like mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), the most common, but still rare, prion disease that affects humans. CWD can spread directly through contact with infected animals and bodily fluids like saliva, and might also spread through prions left behind in the environment by urine or feces. That means CWD has the potential to cause sustained outbreaks of illness in both free-ranging and captive deer populations.
There's also the scary, if still only theoretical, danger of transmission to humans. Mad cow has sparked outbreaks of CJD in humans, caused by people eating contaminated beef. The possibility exists that a similar event could happen with hunters who eat CWD-tainted meat. Last year, for instance, a team of researchers argued in a case report that two hunters who died from CJD may have been infected after consuming CWD-infected deer.
Prion Disease Is Spreading in Deer. Here's What We Know About the Risk to Humans
These cases have not been conclusively tied to CWD, and other scientists have been skeptical about the connection. Experimental studies have also provided mixed evidence for any transmission risk to people, at least for now.
Still, CWD remains a real and growing threat to deer, as well as the human industries that rely on them. So even if CWD never directly harms us, it could cause a serious ecological disaster—large outbreaks could devastate local deer populations, which in turn would affect other species in the area, or cause the closure of deer farms, a $7.9 billion industry. To that end, Wisconsin officials have extended an existing baiting and feeding ban in La Crosse County (baits can attract large populations of deer to an area). Hunters, meanwhile, are advised against eating deer that are untested, or confirmed to have CWD.
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Gadgets gifts are the best gifts to get friends and family.
A woman's human growth hormone treatments in childhood may have sealed her fate decades later, according to a new case report.
Three people in Hood River County have contacted Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease over the span of eight months, an unusual pattern for an incredibly rare disease.
Scientist Michel Brahic's new book delves into the world of prions, the culprits behind some of the scariest illnesses around.
A recent case report has stoked fears that deer can transmit universally fatal prions to humans. Outside experts remain skeptical.
Two recent cases of prion disease in the U.S. may have been caused by contaminated deer meat, though the connection is still unproven.
©2025 GIZMODO USA LLC.
All rights reserved.
Prosecutors allege handwritten notebooks detailed hundreds of optimized manufacturing steps developed over five years.
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Last week, South Korean prosecutors indicted multiple individuals in a case alleging that a former Samsung engineer leaked advanced DRAM manufacturing process data to China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), shedding light on how leaked trade secrets may have accelerated China's push into 10nm-class memory. Now, it has come to light (via SemiAnalysis) that the engineers in question allegedly took note of detailed critical manufacturing steps in handwritten notes taken over five years.
The former Samsung engineer was arrested for offences under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the Industrial Technology Protection Act for allegedly passing along information on Samsung's sub-10nm DRAM process before CXMT began mass production of comparable memory in 2024, two years earlier than expected. This may have caused trillions of losses in Korean Won for both Samsung and South Korea. Meanwhile, CXMT is expected to capture as much as 15% of the market thanks to its advanced memory products.
The formerly employed Samsung Electronics engineer is accused of bypassing internal digital security systems by manually recording sensitive process data in handwritten notes. These notes are believed to have covered more than 600 individual manufacturing steps, including detailed parameters such as gas flow ratios, reactor pressures, and photoresist settings used during critical lithography and deposition stages.
It's estimated that Samsung invested roughly 1.6 trillion KRW over five years to develop its 10nm DRAM technology. The core allegation is that CXMT was able to bypass much of that learning curve and, by extension, cost by calibrating its own production equipment using the stolen process “recipes,” adjusting them as needed to account for differences in toolsets and materials. This would not have eliminated the need for validation work, but it could have dramatically reduced the time and cost required to reach acceptable yields at advanced nodes.
As a result of this, CXMT has emerged as China's most advanced DRAM producer over the past several years, beginning volume shipments of 17nm DRAM in 2022 and moving into 10nm-class production in 2023, a transition that surprised many, given the technical difficulty of scaling DRAM without access to leading-edge lithography tools. Prosecutors argue that Samsung's trade secrets played a direct role in this rapid progression, including in CXMT's subsequent work on HBM stacks.
While companies have invested heavily in digital access controls, monitoring, and data loss prevention systems, handwritten notes remain difficult to track or audit. Investigators say the accused engineer exploited this gap by memorizing and transcribing process flows, which is virtually impossible to police effectively.
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Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist. Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory.
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Every year, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition.
Here is the full list of the enterprise tech Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition
What it does: Builds systems that use multiple forms of AI to uncover “untruths” and authenticate information.
Why it's noteworthy: AI Seer has a couple of products, including an AI-powered real-time fact-checker and a device that's like a next-generation polygraph to determine authenticity of information.
What it does: Atlantix is a platform that helps aspiring startup founders find ideas and build business plans.
Why it's noteworthy: The platform is grounded in a searchable database of over 6,000 university-research innovations and offers examples of everything from pitches to launch materials.
What it does: Offers AI tools for financial operations geared toward automating manual workflows.
Why it's noteworthy: Billow integrates a variety of AI beyond LLMs to assist with financial operations, including voice technology.
What it does: Blok allows product dev teams to do user testing with synthetic users — AI agents that represent their user base.
Why it's noteworthy: Blok is using AI, not just to automate tasks but also to power the data, giving product teams speedier guidance than classic methods like A/B testing or feedback surveys.
What it does: Breakout offers an in-bound sales development representative product, an AI agent that can assist users visiting a website.
Why it's noteworthy: Breakout wants to turn one-size-fits all websites into personalized destinations that perform tasks like answering questions or making recommendations interactively.
What it does: Cashew offers a platform that eases marketing research tasks, including conducting surveys.
Why it's noteworthy: Cashew is a next-gen market research platform that helps marketers build their plans and survey their proprietary customer panels of actual humans, not AI synthetic data.
What it does: CODA offers AI avatars that serve the deaf community by translating spoken and written language into sign language.
Why it's noteworthy: CODA is using advanced machine learning to provide accessibility for the hard of hearing.
What it does: Collabwriting offers a web-highlighting tool that allows users to save, make notes across all their apps, and collaborate on those insights with others.
Why it's noteworthy: This is the AI generation's bookmarking tool that includes access to AI features like fact-checking, “knowledge triggers” that resurface your saved info when you need or ask for it.
What it does: Dextego offers AI agents that act as coaches to help employees level up their skills.
Why it's noteworthy: Dextego has taken proven behavioral intelligence data and translated it into coaches dedicated to tasks like leadership, sales, motivation, and role-playing.
What it does: Offers AI agents that can sift through large volumes of unstructured documents to perform tasks like extracting information or analytics.
Why it's noteworthy: Dobs AI plugs into enterprise data sources but leaves all the data, and control of it, in the enterprise's hands, not sharing the data with others like LLM model makers.
What it does: Elloe is addressing the AI hallucination problem with real-time fact-checking of AI outputs.
Why it's noteworthy: Elloe is like an AI auditor that uses machine learning but not the same LLM models that it is there to safeguard against.
What it does: Elroi offers a platform that handles user permissions and offers datasets for AI training that comply with privacy regulations.
Why it's noteworthy: Privacy regulations can be onerous and ever changing, so Elroi solves this with user-consented datasets.
What it does: Etiq is building a data science AI copilot that handles tapping into data sources to enable AI code generation or agentic workflows.
Why it's noteworthy: Etiq has an emphasis on context about the data, much like a data scientist, which helps it ensure accuracy, not hallucinations.
What it does: Gravl is a storefront platform for core research facilities.
Why it's noteworthy: Gravl is like a Shopify for science facilities, which may have amazing technology innovations to license but need websites and back-office IT to help them do so.
What it does: Hypercubic offers a platform to capture the institutional knowledge around aging mainframe applications.
Why it's noteworthy: The mainframe, running on legacy code, is still the backbone of many an enterprise, so Hypercubic uses AI for features like debugging and documenting that code.
What it does: JustAI offers AI agents for marketing tasks.
Why it's noteworthy: This startup promises that its agents can run marketing tasks end to end, from crafting a marketing plan to analyzing results.
What it does: KrosAI offers voice AI agents, including provisioning phone numbers, for emerging markets.
Why it's noteworthy: KrosAI delivers ultra-low-latency voice AI agents in about 50 emerging-market countries for uses such as call centers.
What it does: Libertify offers an AI platform that converts written documents into interactive videos.
Why it's noteworthy: Libertify takes a PowerPoint or PDF and quickly generates an AI interactive where the document can explain itself or answer questions, yet the document and its data remain secure, it says.
What it does: Maisa is a platform that runs enterprise AI agents as digital co-workers.
Why it's noteworthy: This agentic platform is designed to handle complex processes and it creates fully auditable trails that verify the agent's work.
What it does: Mappa offers a recruiting platform that includes behavioral voice analysis.
Why it's noteworthy: Mappa trained an AI model to analyze voice patterns that correlate with traits that employers may be seeking from job candidates, such as communication style, empathy, and confidence.
What it does: MAy-I offers AI technology for retailers and other foot traffic businesses that captures information about their visitors.
Why it's noteworthy: Using computer vision, this company offers physical space businesses similar kinds of data that e-commerce sites can obtain about their customers such as gender, age group, and customer journey through the space.
What it does: Mendo offers a tool that helps train the workforce on how to use generative AI tech.
Why it's noteworthy: This tool shows workers ideal uses for their corporate AI and allows users to share time-saving tips and evolve usage so no worker gets left behind.
What it does: A platform that helps healthcare organizations easily prepare clinical data for use with AI.
Why it's noteworthy: Nimblemind offers a faster and safer way to structure, label, and manage multimodal health data with automation, audit trails, and APIs.
What it does: Plurall AI has created proprietary technology that can detect multimodal deepfakes.
Why it's noteworthy: Plurall has designed its deepfake detection tool from the ground up, not bolted on top of a state-of-the-art model maker.
What it does: PRVIEW is a platform for public relations professionals that automates the tracking of speaking and award programs for their clients.
Why it's noteworthy: Rather than manually tracking programs via a spreadsheet that could be big PR opportunities for clients, PRVIEW is a platform designed to do that work for the communications team.
What it does: Rayda is a platform that helps IT easily equip remote workers across over 170 countries.
Why it's noteworthy: In addition to configuring and shipping IT equipment, the platform tracks devices and manages offboarding and device recycling, globally.
What it does: Sponstar helps marketers turn any event or city into a treasure hunt.
Why it's noteworthy: Treasure hunts are a beloved form of entertainment, and Sponstar makes them easy for brands to organize with quests, rewards, Pokémon Go–style experiences.
What it does: Unthread is a help desk built from the ground up to integrate with Slack conversations, rather than having a Slack chat bolted on later.
Why it's noteworthy: By watching Slack, Unthread is a new way to track the issues that slow companies down and fix them before they become problems.
What it does: Offers a platform for businesses to easily create, edit, and post immersive 3D and XR content to the web.
Why it's noteworthy: The company allows users to capture immersive video with a mobile device using the on-device AI processing.
What it does: WeShop offers an AI video agent that easily creates professional product photos from a prompt.
Why it's noteworthy: The company promises e-commerce sites and influencers the ability to upload the product photo and type in a prompt to create an AI-generated photo-shoot-quality pic.
What it does: Zetic is a dev tool to deploy real-time AI directly on their users' devices.
Why it's noteworthy: This company offers an enticing alternative to cloud-based AI, allowing AI app makers to decouple their user growth from skyrocketing AI cloud costs.
What it does: Zinnia offers an AI-powered platform that gathers data and assists salespeople.
Why it's noteworthy: The product acts like a sales assistant to boost human productivity rather than an attempt to replace the salesperson with AI.
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4/10
The Nintendo Switch family of consoles is great at a lot of things, but you know what they're not any good at? Being an arcade cabinet from the 1980s. OK, it's probably a highly specific market lamenting that one oversight, but if you find yourself in that niche, then UK-based peripheral maker iMP Tech might have just the thing for you.
The Mini Arcade Pro is an arcade cabinet shell compatible with the original Switch, the Switch OLED, and the Switch 2. It's built around an eight-button base unit with a retro-style eight-way joystick, emulating the look and feel of classic rigs, with your console slotting in to serve as the screen. It also packs in a few touches you wouldn't find in the arcade, like a mappable Turbo feature.
Given the Switch is home to a host of classic arcade-style games—thanks to titles included in the Nintendo Switch Online libraries for NES, SNES, and Genesis/Mega Drive, and through various retro releases such as Namco Museum over the years—this should make for a gadget perfect for delivering some (slightly gimmicky) throwback fun. Sadly, it's marred by production and design issues, making it hard to recommend.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
The Mini Arcade Pro comes flat-packed in seven pieces, though you'll only use six to put it together—there's a tray each for the original Switch models and the Switch 2. Each of those is hinged, allowing you to insert the core tablet of either console, and then seals magnetically to hold it safely in place. It's all fairly intuitive to snap together. A rear panel adds stability and 12 storage slots for Switch game cards, and then the console tray slides into place, docking onto a male USB connector. A marquee strip then snaps onto the top, holding everything together. The arcade base draws power from the console, but a through-port underneath allows you to plug a USB-C charger.
The unit pairs with the console as a controller, which involves a little bit of menu diving and telling your Switch to regard it as a Pro Controller in wired communication mode. If you usually use a Pro Controller wirelessly, you'll need to swap this setting each time. For anyone using a Switch 2, the cabinet can use the console's wake function and has a C button to activate GameChat—connecting a camera might be a bit tricky given the setup, but the Switch 2's built-in microphone suffices for voice chat.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
Once it's all assembled, the cabinet weighs 891 grams when using the Switch 2 shell, and an even sturdier 1,200 grams when the Switch 2 tablet is inserted. With four large, rubber feet, it feels nice and stable on most surfaces—you'd have to be engaging in some vigorous joystick wiggling to send it flying.
There is a hitch using this cabinet with the Switch 2, specifically—the recent 21.0.0 system update means that Mini Arcade Pro units with batch number 0925 need a firmware update to work properly. It's not only iMP Tech caught out by this—many third-party peripherals seem to be having issues as a result—but the fix requires a cable with a female USB-C port to apply the update. iMP says it will provide an appropriate cable to customers who need one, on proof of purchase. You'll also need a Windows PC environment to run the updater, as it's an .exe file.
Unfortunately, after you've done all that construction and updating, the Mini Arcade Pro presents one major problem: You have to look at it.
There are two ways to approach the Mini Arcade Pro's design ethos: its physical design and its graphic design. The former is pretty good! The finished unit is nicely evocative of the actual arcade cabinets of the 1980s and ‘90s, or more recent bar-top arcade mini cabs like the Evercade Alpha. Sure, building it around the Switch's widescreen display means digressing from the boxy 4:3 displays that many originals had, and the shrunken-down structure is a wholesale departure, but it still sits on your desk like a sense memory given form. The swooping arcs and angles of the ersatz rig hit all the right notes, while the eight-button layout and cherry-red handle of the joystick very much look the part.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
The graphic design, though … hooboy. This is, bluntly, absolutely atrocious on multiple levels. The headline marquee juxtaposes two terrible fonts—a sort of jaunty Comic Sans-on-acid for “MINI ARCADE” and a blocky, italicized, faux-pixelated “PRO”—into an overly colorful mess that feels juvenile and childish, rather than retro. The side panels feature a quartet of layered arrows extending along the height and depth of the unit, an idea that could have a bit of simplistic ‘80s charm to it, but applied in slapdash fashion, with different widths to each arrow that make it look like badly pasted clip art. While the arrow's color order is consistent with the cabinet's face buttons—red, yellow, green, blue—that feels more like a happy accident than a deliberate choice. You've seen “graphic design is my passion” memes that actually have a better grasp of design than this.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
Worst of all, though, is that the cabinet is practically dripping in AI slop imagery. Each side panel has a hallucination of nightmarish faces—I think they're faces—and distended hands; jagged teeth and what looks like bunched-up intestines, all grasping at impossibly-shaped gaming controllers and exploding out of some sort of apocalyptic meat grinder. Elsewhere, the main control panel and that already-blighted marquee have more malformed controllers, flying out of yet more explosions. Even if these elements had been applied with intent and drawn by an actual human—one who knew what a controller looks like or realized that internal organs don't typically leave the body for a gaming session—the aesthetic is far too busy, leaving this looking like a complete mess.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
I reached back out to iMP to ask about its clear use of AI imagery for the Mini Arcade Pro. In response, a representative said: “Due to time constraints, the production team in China relied on various imagery for use on the outer marquee to hit production timelines; however, that is now under consultation and is due to be revised as part of a running change.”
A potential sliver of good news for future buyers, then. However, there's no word yet on when a revised design may enter production, what that design may be, or if it would be more AI slop.
If you can look past the dreadful aesthetics, or fancy redecorating it yourself (hey, it's an art project, too!), then the Mini Arcade Pro is at least decent fun to use.
The joystick feels especially delightful—nicely responsive and satisfyingly “clicky” as it moves around. Its metal shaft feels resilient, too. With only the one stick on the cabinet, it has to pull triple duty, though, with a hard toggle on the top right of the panel emulating the Switch's left thumbstick, D-pad, or right thumbstick. If you're sticking to arcade classics, you won't find much need to swap out of D-pad mode.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
There is what looks like another maddening design fail, with the Switch's left shoulder buttons, L and ZL, positioned on the right of the Mini Arcade Pro's eight-button layout, with the right-hand R and ZR buttons to their left. However, this is actually a trick borrowed from other console arcade sticks, and it works surprisingly well for 2D fighters such as Ultra Street Fighter II. Capcom's classic series builds combos from light, medium, and heavy punches and kicks, which is best suited to a six-button layout. Played on a ‘regular' controller, those inputs usually extend from the four face buttons to the right-hand shoulder buttons. Here, the B, A, and ZR buttons, and the Y, X, and R buttons line up in rows, so the game plays just like it would on an actual cabinet. It's neat.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
However, I wouldn't use the Mini Arcade Pro to play fighters competitively, even for low-stakes online play. While the joystick feels great, the rest of the inputs feel far from tournament grade. I occasionally noticed overly sensitive “twitchy” controls, where pressing a button once—to select a game in a compendium title, for instance—would result in multiple inputs, even without that aforementioned Turbo feature activated. It's not a consistent problem, but annoying when it happens.
As the Mini Arcade Pro is only designed for one player, it feels better suited to arcade puzzlers, shooters, and side-scrolling beat-'em-ups anyway. The Golden Axe games in Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Collection, the entire roster of Capcom Beat-'Em-Up Bundle, and Namco Museum's Splatterhouse all fared well, as did classics Pac-Man and Galaga. Shooters in particular are where that Turbo feature does come in handy—hold down the Turbo button, then the input you want to apply the feature to, and blast away to your heart's content. Repeat the process to turn the feature off.
That's probably not enough to salvage this for most players, though. Unless you're using your Switch or Switch 2 to near-exclusively play old-school games—or at least old-school style games, like Streets of Rage 4 or Terminator 2D: No Fate—then this has limited appeal. Coupled with the hoops you need to jump through to update it for Switch 2 usage and the abysmal imagery slopped all over the thing, the Mini Arcade Pro isn't so much retro as it's better left in the past.
iMP Tech Mini Arcade Pro
Rating: 4/10
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Federal warrants name four suspects who posed as U.S.-based developers using company hardware.
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The FBI has published a public wanted notice naming four individuals accused of operating as fraudulent remote IT workers on behalf of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), tying the group to identity theft, wire fraud, and the alleged theft of more than $900,000 in virtual currency from U.S. companies. The FBI has issued a $5 million reward for information "that leads to the disruption of financial mechanisms of persons engaged in certain activities that support North Korea."
According to the FBI, arrest warrants were issued on June 24, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia. Prosecutors allege the defendants used stolen or falsified identities to obtain remote software engineering and IT roles, then abused their access to company systems and digital wallets during 2022. The bureau says the stolen funds were subsequently laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.
The FBI's wanted notice lists aliases, dates of birth, language abilities, and travel links to countries including the United Arab Emirates and Laos, describing how the accused allegedly presented themselves as legitimate remote workers while operating on behalf of the DPRK.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice, in a related operation, said that they searched 29 suspected “laptop farm” locations across 16 states, seizing dozens of financial accounts and websites used to support the scheme. Investigators described laptop farms as physical locations in the U.S. where company-issued systems are delivered, powered on, and connected to corporate networks, allowing overseas workers to control them while appearing to be domestic.
In 2022, the FBI said that North Korea "has dispatched thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world" who "in many cases misrepresent themselves as foreign (non-North Korean) or U.S.-based teleworkers, including by using virtual private networks (VPNs), virtual private servers (VPSs), purchased third-country IP addresses, proxy accounts, and falsified or stolen identification documents" in a bid to evade detection for as long as possible.
It's not difficult to see why crypto-linked companies are frequent targets. Access to internal repositories, signing keys, and wallets can be far more valuable than traditional payroll fraud, particularly when attackers maintain long-term access under the guise of legitimate employment. By issuing a public wanted notice, the FBI is piling pressure on both the operators and the support networks that make the schemes viable.
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Gemini Live is the more conversational, natural language way of interacting with the Google Gemini AI bot using your voice. The idea is you chat with it like you would chat with a friend, interruptions and all, even if the actual answers are the same as you'd get from typing your queries into Gemini as normal.
Now, about a year and a half after its debut, Gemini Live has been given what Google is describing as its “biggest update ever.” The update makes the Gemini Live mode even more natural and even more conversational than before, with a better understanding of tone, nuance, pronunciation, and rhythm.
There's no real visible indication that anything has changed, and often a lot of the responses will seem the same as before too. However, there are certain areas where you can tell the difference that the latest upgrade has made—and so here's how to make the most of the new and improved Gemini Live.
The update is rolling out now for Gemini on Android and iOS. To access Gemini Live, launch the Gemini app, then tap the Live button in the lower right hand corner (it looks vaguely like a sound wave) and start talking.
Gemini Live can now add more feeling and variation to its storytelling capabilities—which can be useful for history lessons, bedtimes for the children, and creative brainstorming. The AI will even add in different accents and tones where appropriate, to help you distinguish between the characters and scenes.
One of Google's own examples for how this works best is to get Gemini Live to tell you the story of the Roman Empire from the perspective of Julius Caesar. It's a challenge for Gemini that requires some leaps in perspective and imagination, and to use tone and style appropriately in a way that Gemini Live should now be better at.
You don't have to restrict yourself to Julius Caesar or the Roman Empire either. You could get Gemini Live to give you a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of each different Bennett sister, for example, or have the AI spin up a tale of what life would have been like in your part of the world 100, 200, or 300 years ago.
Another area where Gemini Live's new capabilities make a noticeable difference is in educating and explaining: You can get it to give you a crash course (or a longer tutorial) on any topic of your choosing, anything from the intricacies of human genetics to the best ways to clean a carpet. You can even get Gemini Live to teach you a language.
The AI can now go at a pace to suit you, which is particularly useful when you're trying to learn something new. If you need Gemini Live to slow down, speed up, or repeat something, then just say so. If you've only got a certain amount of time spare, let Gemini know when you're chatting to it.
As usual, be wary of AI hallucinations, and maybe don't trust that everything you hear is fully accurate or verified. If you're wanting to learn something like how to rewire the lighting in your home or fix a problematic car engine, double-check the guidance you're getting with other sources, but Gemini Live is at least a useful starting point.
One of the new skills that Gemini Live has with this latest update is the ability to speak in different accents. Perhaps you want the history of the Wild West spoken by a cowboy, or you need the intricacies of the British Royal Family explained by someone with an authentic London accent. Gemini Live can now handle these requests.
This extends to the language learning mentioned above, because you can hear words and phrases spoken as they would be by native speakers—and then try to copy the pronunciation and phrasing. While Gemini Live doesn't cover every language and accent across the globe, it can access plenty of them.
There are certain safeguards built into Gemini Live here, and your requests might get refused if you veer too close to derogatory uses of accents and speech, or if you're trying to impersonate real people. However, it's another fun way to test out the AI, and to get responses that are more varied and personalized.
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Hardware aim assist: your mousepad moves to make up for your slow or poor aiming.
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What do you do if you are so good at video games that playing against family and friends becomes drained of all its entertainment value? If you are Nick, at the Basically Homeless YouTube channel, you combine woodworking, hardware hacking, and software shenanigans to enhance your friendly foes with a slick, mechanized, mousepad-driven aim-assist system that imparts expert-level headshot skills. The system uses a computer vision model to monitor the screen and identify targets, and then moves the mousepad underneath the mouse to zero in on the perfect shot. In practice, this worked so well and so transparently that some of Nick's opponents began to think they had elite-level aiming skills.
The finished moving mousepad aim assist system works great, but how was it actually created? Nick is the kind of person who thinks on his feet, so even before finalizing the design, he got busy routing a big hole in his bamboo-topped table, a few inches smaller than the sizable opaque white glass mousepad that had already been chosen.
He would pick a few different transport solutions before settling on using the gantry and controller board from an Xdraw A4 drawing board to move the mousepad physically. Thankfully, that choice still fits with his earlier decisions regarding the table routing and the mousepad.
Hacking to gain control of the drawing board revealed that it had a commonplace GRBL controller, so it wasn't too complicated to command and control this stripped-down device. With this determined, Nick could get on with fitting the mousepad movement mechanism, stripped from the drawing board, under the table, and attaching the mousepad on top. A little bit of 3D printing was required to make the perfect inserts/spacers for the mousepad fitting and sliding mechanism.
The next step would have been mightily complicated had it not been for the availability of the YOLO-based computer vision model. Nick's software implementation used this model to monitor the screen. Based on what was happening on the screen, the computer vision system would calculate the required motion and send serial commands to the mousepad's GRBL-driven motion rig. This way, when a target was detected within a generous radius of the crosshair, the mechanized gantry swiftly adjusted the aim to become a laser-accurate headshot.
One of the best illustrations of how slickly the mechanical mousepad's aim assist worked was provided by Olivia, towards the end of the video. To start, she believed she was naturally good at eSports gaming. However, Nick quietly disabled the aim assist “for science,” and his opponent's mood turned a little sour, accusing him of cheating… So, he turned it back on in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
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> We don't know yet how the current AI wave is going to play out on HN but for the time being the community is super sensitive about not letting generated content permeate the threads and I think it's the right call for now.
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When Kevin Hartz's security system failed to alert him as an intruder rang his doorbell and tried to enter his San Francisco home late one night, the serial entrepreneur decided existing solutions weren't good enough. His co-founder Jack Abraham had experienced similar frustrations at his Miami Beach residence.
In 2024, they launched Sauron — named after the sinister, all-seeing eye from “The Lord of the Rings” — to build what they envisioned as a military-grade home security system for tech elites. The concept resonated in Bay Area circles, where crime had become a constant topic during and after the pandemic, despite San Francisco Police Department statistics showing property crime and homicide rates declining last year.
The startup raised $18 million from executives behind Flock Safety and Palantir, defense tech investors including 8VC, Abraham's startup lab Atomic, and Hartz's investment firm A*. It came out of stealth exactly a year ago, promising to launch in the first quarter of 2025 with a system combining AI-driven intelligence, advanced sensors like LiDAR and thermal imaging, and 24/7 human monitoring by former military and law enforcement personnel.
But a year later, Sauron is still very much in development mode — a reality that its new CEO, Maxime “Max” Bouvat-Merlin, acknowledged candidly in a recent interview with TechCrunch.
After nearly nine years at Sonos, including a stint as chief product officer, Bouvat-Merlin took the helm of Sauron just last month. He's spending his first days on the job finalizing fundamental questions: which sensors to use, how exactly the deterrence system will work, and when the company can realistically get products into customers' homes.
The answer to that last question? Later in 2026 at the earliest — a significant delay from the original timeline.
“We're in the development phase,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “You'll see a phased approach where we get our solution to market as a stepping stone. All the different components — our concierge service, our AI software running on servers, our smart cameras — are building blocks coming together in a plan we just put in place very recently.”
Still, Bouvat-Merlin sees striking parallels between Sauron and Sonos, which both target wealthy customers first, rely on word-of-mouth growth, and combine complex hardware with sophisticated software. “I had lunch with John MacFarlane, the founder of Sonos, a few weeks ago,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “All the topics he was thinking about when starting Sonos were exactly the same topics we're discussing at Sauron.”
Both companies faced the same strategic questions: Start with super-premium customers or mass premium? Professional installation or DIY? Build everything in-house or partner with an ecosystem? “We might make different decisions, but the questions are very similar,” he said.
The security problem
Bouvat-Merlin says he was drawn to Sauron by both the mission and an opportunity to solve a real customer problem. “Securing people's homes is important, but I also like the deterrence aspect — changing people's minds before they make a bad decision and get into trouble,” he said.
His research showed that market leaders in premium home security have small market shares and negative Net Promoter Scores. “People are not happy with their solutions today,” he said. “There are so many false positives that when law enforcement is called, they don't respond because they assume it's a false alarm.”
The company is targeting customers “where safety and security is a major concern” — people like Hartz. The plan is to start with this premium segment, establish a reputation for supporting demanding clients, then expand to what Bouvat-Merlin calls “mass premium.”
The product (that's still taking shape)
So what exactly is Sauron building? The answer is still evolving. The offering starts with camera pods containing multiple sensors — “40 cameras and different types of sensors, potentially LiDAR and radar, potentially thermal,” Bouvat-Merlin said. These pods connect to servers running machine learning software for computer vision, all linked to a 24/7 concierge service staffed by former military and law enforcement personnel.
“Those people understand patterns,” he said. “They're good at helping us mature our machine learning solution and train our system to detect weird behaviors.”
The deterrence system remains somewhat vague. Options being considered include loudspeakers, flashing lights, and other methods. But Bouvat-Merlin emphasized that deterrence should begin before someone enters a property, detecting when homes are being surveilled, noticing cars circling neighborhoods multiple times, and identifying threats at each stage.
“The more upfront we are with deterrence, the more we can convince people this is the wrong house to rob and the wrong decision to make,” he said.
As for the drones mentioned when Sauron first took the wraps off its plans last year, Bouvat-Merlin declined to say much. “These are roadmap conversations. I don't want to go too deep at this point because there are so many things we could do, but we're such a small company,” he said. He added that, bigger picture, the focus is on growing the ecosystem through partnerships rather than reinventing the wheel.
Timeline and business model
With fewer than 40 employees, Sauron plans to hire just 10 to 12 more in 2026. The company will also begin working with early adopters later in 2026, with a Series A fundraise planned for mid-year.
“Raising a Series A is not about raising because we have to — it's because we want to,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “I want to make sure we're showing progress and explaining how we'll use extra funds to accelerate growth, [including to] launch our first end-to-end product, drive customer adoption, and accelerate the roadmap.”
The company has already attracted a significant list of prospective clients, he said, thanks to work by Sauron's three founders, which include roboticist and engineer Vasumathi Raman. “We expect the strategy initially to be word of mouth, then grow differently over time.”
But Bouvat-Merlin is cautious about growth. “I want to make sure we grow sustainably and keep the experience and service premium over time,” he said. “I want to manage growing pains as much as possible while driving profitability.”
The surveillance state questionFacial recognition and privacy concerns loom large for a surveillance-heavy product. Bouvat-Merlin outlined one approach: a trust-based system where homeowners grant access to specific people. “I granted you access to my house, so now you're in the trusted group. When you come, I detect it's you and you're allowed in. Everyone else is an unknown person,” he said, painting a picture of a likely scenario.
License plate detection is also being considered for identifying cars circling neighborhoods multiple times. “How do we assess if that's a threat? The ex-military and ex-law enforcement team will be really good at helping mature our machine learning solution,” he said.
Either way, Bouvat-Merlin is confident in the opportunity ahead because of Sauron's approach. “A lot of companies started as traditional security companies and are trying to add tech,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “We're looking at it from the opposite angle — we're a tech startup in San Francisco bringing technology to this market.”
Sauron is also appearing on the scene as concerns rise about crime among the most wealthy. Recent high-profile incidents include a November armed robbery at the home of tech investors Lachy Groom and Joshua Buckley in San Francisco's Mission District, where $11 million in cryptocurrency was stolen during a 90-minute ordeal involving torture and threats.
“We see people who are wealthy attracting criminals,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “We've seen a lot of robberies in San Francisco and other major U.S. cities, sometimes at gunpoint. I don't think the world is getting safer — there are probably more disparities between people at the top and bottom of the wealth spectrum. We see anxiety from prospective clients who are eager to get their homes secured.”Still, much remains uncertain about Sauron's path. The company must finalize everything from sensor configurations to manufacturing locations. (Bouvat-Merlin mentioned potentially starting in the U.S. for proximity and control, then moving to more affordable locations as volume grows.)
It must also determine how to serve customers in different settings, from estates with perimeters to dense urban residences, while maintaining premium service quality.
For now, Bouvat-Merlin says he's focused on listening to his team, building credibility, and finalizing the strategy he's putting in place. “I don't demand that people trust me — I want to show them why they should.”
The company expects to share more details about its products later next year.
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Sauron, the high-end home security startup for “super premium” customers, plucks a new CEO out of Sonos
NY Governor Hochul signs bill requiring warning labels on ‘addictive' social media
How reality crushed Ÿnsect, the French startup that had raised over $600M for insect farming
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Marissa Mayer's new startup Dazzle raises $8M led by Forerunner's Kirsten Green
Inside Uzbekistan's nationwide license plate surveillance system
© 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC.
Edited by Manasi Talwadekar
December 29, 2025
Patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) had more vertebral fractures, particularly biconcave vertebral fractures, than those with primary osteoporosis.
"Our findings highlight the diagnostic relevance of analysing VFx [vertebral fracture] morphology in the work-up of bone fragility," the authors wrote. "Incorporating this parameter into existing diagnostic pathways may help reduce diagnostic delays, prevent misclassification as primary osteoporosis, and guide more appropriate therapeutic decision-making in this high-risk population," they added.
This study was led by Gaetano Paride Arcidiacono, University of Padova, Padua, Italy. It was published online on December 10, 2025, in Osteoporosis International.
The study's small sample size may have limited generalisability. Age and sex differences between the two groups may have influenced the results. The mechanism underlying biconcave fracture morphology in SM remains unclear.
Open access funding was provided by Università degli Studi di Padova within the CRUI-CARE Agreement. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Arcidiacono GP, Torres MO, Zanchetta F, et al. Biconcave vertebral fractures as a possible distinctive feature of indolent systemic mastocytosis compared with primary osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int. Published online December 10, 2025. doi:10.1007/s00198-025-07799-1
Send comments and news tips to uknewsdesk@medscape.co.uk.
Florian Wirtz has been placed on a ‘special bulk programme' as Liverpool's summer signing continues to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League. After enduring a tough start to his journey in England following his £116million ($156.5m) summer arrival, the Germany international finally opened his account in the Premier League last weekend as he scored the winning goal against Wolves.
The German attacking midfielder had an underwhelming start to his journey in the Premier League after Liverpool broke the bank to sign Wirtz for a then-British record transfer fee from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old went 16 English top-flight matches without scoring a goal before finally ending his drought last Saturday, as he scored the all-important second goal for the Reds after Ryan Gravenberch handed the English champions the lead. The German's strike proved crucial for the club as Wolves pulled one back at the start of the second half.
After his initial struggles in Merseyside, the Liverpool coaching staff placed Wirtz on a special programme to bulk up in order to match the intensity of the Premier League, according to the Daily Mail. The hard shifts in the gym and intense weight training have clearly paid off as Wirtz has gained two kilograms in weight and was seen at the very best of his abilities against Wolves at Anfield last weekend.
The midfielder had a commanding presence in the attacking third as he controlled the game and even contributed with a late first-half goal. Liverpool fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief that Wirtz has found his old form from Germany and is now ready to light up the Premier League.
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After Wirtz's heroics at Anfield, Reds boss Arne Slot had told Sky Sports: "The team have seen how much he (Wirtz) did already for us, creating chances and being so close to a goal. He will go on and score many more goals than one for us. I think Florian did more than only score today."
Wirtz then himself told Sky Sports: "It was very nice the feeling on the pitch with the fans around. I was very happy and I still am. I was confident that I would score one day. I wanted to start earlier scoring and assisting but it was like this and I have to accept it. I just know that it will come and I try to keep going like that. We played a brilliant first half. We lost the game and got it back. Everyone was working hard. In the last 20 minutes, we made it a bit difficult. I cannot explain why. We have to change that. That's how we want to do it. We want to be there and be on top of the table. It's not been an easy start for us but we're doing better and getting the points."
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also showered the youngster with praise as he said: "I was very happy for him. He played a very good game. Everyone was outstanding in the first half. It's great to see and hopefully many more to come from him. He's getting used to playing for Liverpool and what we want to do as a team. He's getting used to the intensity. After about 70 minutes I think he had some cramp. It's part of the game. He just has to keep going. It was an important goal for us and now on to New Year's Day. I think he runs almost everywhere. At times on the left, at times in the middle. He's a very intelligent player who is so comfortable on the ball. He finds space between the lines and can be very important. "He wants to be important in terms of goals and assists. The work rate he puts in and the chances he creates is what I think is even more important. I am really pleased for him, like the rest of the team. You saw the celebrations. Everyone is so happy for him."
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Wirtz will now aim to push forward in 2026 and play a decisive role reminiscent of his price tag in Liverpool's push for silverware come the end of the season. His Anfield career is still in its infancy and there will be many more opportunities for the playmaker to affect games in the Premier League and show just why he was one of the most sought-after players in world football over the summer.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino gave an emphatic defense of the heavily criticized 2026 World Cup ticket prices, citing the unprecedented demand as the main reason behind the sky-high prices.
In some instances, ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are five times more expensive than in the previous tournament in Qatar in 2022, prompting swift and severe backlash from fans all over the world. Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino gave the reasoning behind the high prices, making a massive revelation.
“We have six to seven million tickets on sale,” Infantino said via BBC Sport. “And in 15 days we received 150 million ticket requests. So 10 million ticket requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is.
“In the almost 100 years of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total. So, in two weeks we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. Imagine that. This is absolutely crazy.”
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The high prices will make going to stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico during the World Cup for a once in a generation event simply unaffordable for fans. FIFA's response to the backlash was to open a new, restricted tier of tickets at $60 for every game.
Infantino revealed they were aware of the critics which he described as “feedback” and that the cheaper tier was the “right thing to do.” Still, the rest of the eye-watering priced tickets, plenty of which reach four figures, remain unchanged.
It's no secret that FIFA will get a massive piece of the World Cup ticket pie. With the 2026 World Cup being the first 48-team tournament, on top of the astronomical prices, the money generated from ticket sales will be unprecedented.
Speaking on the matter, Infantino made sure to detail where FIFA will be reinvesting the revenue from its handsome slice.
“What's crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world,” Infantino said. “Without FIFA there'd be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with, and from, the World Cup which we reinvest all over the world.”
Only time will tell if Infantino's repeated promise to help the sport develop all over the world becomes a concrete reality. What's certain is that the economic revenue generated from World Cup ticket sales could make a significant impact.
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Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his determination to score 1,000 goals by the end of his career.
And the 40-year-old Portugal superstar is in no doubt he'll get there.
"I will reach that number for sure, if no injuries," Ronaldo said late Sunday at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, where he was named as the best player in the Middle East.
Ronaldo moved onto 956 career goals by scoring twice for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. His tally includes men's international record of 143 goals for Portugal, which Ronaldo is set to lead into next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
By the time the World Cup begins, Ronaldo — a five-time world player of the year — will be aged 41.
"I am still very motivated to carry on," the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus striker said on stage after receiving his award. "It doesn't matter (where) I play — Middle East, in Europe — I always enjoy to play football, to win trophies, to score goals and I want to carry on.
"You know what my goal is: I want to win more trophies and I want to reach the number that you will all know."
The World Cup is one of the few trophies missing from Ronaldo's collection. He won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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Kyle Bonn
Getty
JUMP TO:
After winning the inaugural 2025 FIFA Club World Cup title, Chelsea are pressing on in the Premier League and European play hoping to add to the trophy case.
Competing in this year's Champions League while pushing for qualification to next year's European competition, the Blues are in a battle for a top five spot in the domestic standings.
A match against struggling Bournemouth could provide a boost up the table, but Andoni Iraola is not one to take lightly even if the Cherries are in a bad run of form.
The Sporting News brings you the latest Chelsea team news, injury updates, and more ahead of their meeting against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge this week.
MORE: An updated list of top goal scorers in the Premier League for the 2025/26 season
Below is the latest injury picture for Chelsea, including estimated return dates for those who are sidelined.
Lavia has a muscle issue that saw him remain on the sidelines until well after the November international break. Maresca hopes the injury is not serious, but a return in December at the earliest is the optimistic view.
Essugo arrived at Chelsea carrying a thigh injury following his loan return to Sporting CP from Las Palmas.
While there has been little confirmed reporting on his return, there has been recent speculation that he might be out until early 2026.
Colwill suffered an ACL tear in preseason and will miss the full campaign. The England international is still in the early stages of his rehabilitation.
Ukraine international Mudryk has not been available for selection since December 2024 after failing a doping test.
Liam Delap has returned from his shoulder injury and is available as an option up front to spell Joao Pedro.
Alejandro Garnacho so far has outplayed Jamie Gittens on the left wing opposite the intrepid Neto on the right.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Sanchez (GK)
James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella
E. Fernandez, Caicedo
Neto, Palmer, Garnacho
Joao Pedro
Chelsea have three more league games before the FA Cup third-round match against Charlton Athletic.
Then comes another domestic knockout match as the Blues take on Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal matchup.
Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.
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World Cup
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed that World Cup ticket revenue is necessary for sustaining football in 150 countries.
The sport's governing body has faced heavy criticism after ticket prices for the 2026 tournament were revealed, which are the most expensive in World Cup history. Fan group Football Supporters Europe described the prices as “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup.”
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After widespread backlash to general ticket prices and those for fans of participating member associations (PMAs), released on December 11, FIFA introduced the “supporter entry tier” five days later, which offers around 1,000 tickets per game for $60 to supporters of the two competing teams.
At the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday, Infantino spoke publicly for the first time since those ticket prices were announced.
“What's crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world,” said the 55-year-old.
“Without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with, and from, the World Cup, which we reinvest all over the world.”
A FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic earlier this month that, in relation to World Cup ticket prices, “the revenue FIFA generates from the World Cup is reinvested to fuel the growth of the game (men, women, youth) throughout FIFA's 211 member associations globally. As a matter of fact, FIFA expects to reinvest more than 90 per cent of its budgeted investments for the cycle 2023-2026 back in the game to significantly boost global football development.
“Without FIFA's financial support, more than 50 per cent of FIFA's member associations could not operate.”
FIFA's average price for the three opening matches of the tournament for hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States across Categories 1, 2 and 3 was $1,728. Prices vary for the other 39 teams. For example, the average price across Category 1-3 prices released by FIFA earlier this month for games involving Germany in the group stage was $422.
Category 3 tickets for the semi-finals exceed $900, with the most expensive seats costing $3,295.
Tickets for the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium have been on sale for as much as $8,680 since the draw at the start of this month, nearly $2,000 more than the original price in October.
“We have six to seven million tickets on sale and in 15 days we received 150 million ticket requests,” Infantino added on Monday.” So, 10 million ticket requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is.
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“In the almost 100 years of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total. So, in two weeks, we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. Imagine that. This is absolutely crazy.”
A press release from FIFA later on Monday repeated Infatino's claim, stating that “over 150 million ticket requests have been submitted to date by fans from over 200 countries.”
The “random selection draw” ticketing phase that opened on December 11 will conclude January 13. Fans have been applying for tickets in specific categories to specific matches for the aforementioned prices. FIFA then randomly selects an unknown number of applicants, charges them the listed price before they are given their requested tickets at some point on or after February 5.
Any remaining tickets will be sold on a “first-come-first-served” basis.
Sam Joseph is a Junior News Editor at The Athletic, based in London. Prior to joining, he worked as an Associate Producer for CNN Sport and attended Cardiff University.
Fulham have their sights set on bringing U.S. men's national team forward Ricardo Pepi to Craven Cottage this winter, a report claims.
The Premier League outfit is in the market to bolster their attack during the January transfer window. Mexico national team talisman Raúl Jiménez, who is set to turn 35 in May, only has five goals to his name in 2025–26, while Rodrigo Muniz has been sidelined since November with a hamstring injury.
According to Daily Mail, Fulham view Pepi as an exciting reinforcement for Marco Silva's squad, one that would bring a spark of life to a frontline that has only scored two or more goals in four of the club's last 16 games.
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The Cottagers were previously interested in the American last summer, while West Ham United made an offer a year ago. But he continues to make waves at PSV Eindhoven thanks to a red hot start to the season. Pepi has already found the back of the net 10 times in 21 appearances, on pace to shatter his previous personal-best production of 17 goals in a single campaign.
The Dutch club is thought to value the 22-year-old at around $54 million, a price tag that could keep increasing should Pepi keep up his form into 2026. Fulham not only would have to splash some serious cash to snag his signature, but also convince the No. 9 to make the move to the England.
Pepi missed significant time last season due to a knee injury, keeping him sidelined for the majority of the USMNT's 2025 calendar year. His lengthy stay in the infirmary opened the door for Haji Wright and Patrick Agyemang to impress new boss Mauricio Pochettino instead.
Pepi's return to top form, though, gives Pochettino a welcome problem. Now the Argentine has a wealth of options up top to test out during the March international break against Belgium and Portugal.
Folarin Balogun remains the frontrunner to be the Stars and Stripes' starting striker at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the Monaco standout's backup is anything but certain. Growing interest from the Premier League, and even a potential transfer, could give Pepi the edge ahead of the other alternatives going into next summer's tournament.
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Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer and editor. Born and raised in New York City, her first loves were the Yankees, the Rangers and Broadway before Real Madrid took over her life. Had it not been for her brother's obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo, she would have never lived through so many magical Champions League nights 3,600 miles away from the Bernabéu. When she's not consumed by Spanish and European soccer, she's traveling, reading or losing her voice at a concert.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Demand for the 2026 FIFA World Cup isn't just high, it's record-breaking.
On Monday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that with just 7 million tickets available, more than 150 million ticket requests have been received. This interest represents “3.4 times more than the overall number of spectators who have attended the 964 matches that make up all 22 editions of the competition combined since 1930.”
Read more World Cup to KC stories here
For those still looking to get their hands on tickets, the current Random Selection Draw phase lasts through Jan. 11, 2026. Fans have an equal chance at receiving tickets through this draw, but will be able to buy tickets in future draws if they are unsuccessful.
Ticket prices are divided into tiers, including the new Supporter Entry Tier that offers $60 tickets at each match. It was created in response to backlash over unaffordable ticket prices.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be the greatest and most inclusive show on the planet, with more than 150 million tickets already requested in only the first 15 days, making this edition 30 times oversubscribed - a true showcase of incredible demand from fans from over 200 countries,” said Infantino.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Barcelona are eyeing a move for Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic on a free transfer as the Catalan giants see the striker as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski. The veteran Polish forward, who will soon enter the final six months of his current contract, has yet to decide on his future at Barcelona and has not penned a fresh extension yet.
Lewandowski, whose contract is nearing its expiry, has acknowledged that no clear decision has yet been made over whether his journey in Catalonia will continue beyond the 2025-26 campaign after overcoming a few injury issues this year.
While speaking to Polish journalist Bogdan Rymanowski earlier this month, Lewandowski offered a candid assessment of his situation, revealing both reflection and restraint. He said: "I still have time to make a decision. Right now, I don't know where I want to play. There's no need to think about it yet. I don't know which direction to take, but I don't have any pressure."
Lewandowski stressed that discussions with Barcelona's hierarchy remain distant rather than tense, and that financial considerations are not the defining factor. "I am not talking to the coach about interested clubs," he added. "It's not about cutting my salary in half. A lot depends on the club's plan and what I want."
As Lewandowski's future remains uncertain, Barcelona have begun their search for the Polish forward's replacement. According to Marca, the Catalan giants have reportedly identified Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic as a like-for-like replacement of Lewandowski. Vlahovic's current contract in Turin is valid until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, after which he will become a free agent.
While Hansi Flick considers Ferran Torres to be a perfect option to replace Lewandowski in his starting lineup, the club would also want someone to bolster the attack and fill the hole left by Lewandowski's departure next summer.
Vlahovic has struggled with form and fitness issues in the current season, as he has scored just three goals in the Serie A and in the Champions League. He also suffered an abductor injury only a month back and won't return to action at least until the first match of 2026.
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Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson might leave Bayern Munich next summer once his loan deal expires, as the Bavarian giants are unlikely to make his move permanent. With Jackson's future uncertain, the German champions have begun to look elsewhere and Fabrizio Romano claimed that Bayern held talks in October with representatives of Juventus striker Vlahovic. The 25-year-old Serbian forward is considered a strong candidate and will likely be a more affordable option, particularly given his contract is set to expire next summer.
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Amid an uncertain future at Camp Nou, interest in Lewandowski is intensifying across the world. According to Spanish outlet AS, his agent Pini Zahavi is set to hold fresh talks with officials from the Saudi Pro League ahead of the January transfer window. The report claims an offer has already been placed on the table, though the identities of the clubs involved remain undisclosed. The attraction of the Middle East is obvious. The Saudi Pro League has already lured some of the sport's most recognisable names, including Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.
For Lewandowski, the prospect of a final chapter in a rapidly expanding league, accompanied by significant financial reward, is understood to be appealing. Saudi Arabia is not the only destination under consideration.
Earlier this month, the BBC reported that Lewandowski's representatives had also held discussions with Chicago Fire over a possible move to Major League Soccer. Chicago Fire have made no secret of their desire to sign a global star and are believed to have identified Lewandowski as a priority target for several months.
10:54 EST 29 Dec 2025, updated
10:54 EST 29 Dec 2025
By
WILL GRIFFEE
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the exorbitant cost of World Cup tickets, described by fan groups as 'scandalous'.
Tickets to group games in next year's tournament hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico are three times more expensive than in the previous World Cup.
The cheapest seats at the final will cost £3,129 and there has been a huge backlash from supporters.
'We have six to seven million tickets on sale and in 15 days we received 150 million ticket requests,' argued Infantino at the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday.
'So 10 million ticket requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is.
'In the almost 100 years of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total. So, in two weeks we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. Imagine that. This is absolutely crazy.'
He also said that the profits would be pumped back into football, adding: 'What's crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world.
'Without FIFA there would be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with, and from, the World Cup which we reinvest all over the world.'
After the enormous backlash from fans at the pricing, FIFA did guarantee a small selection of tickets would be available at a reduced cost of £45, thought to be around 10 per cent of the overall allocation handed to each nation taking part.
In England's case, the tickets – which will be available for all games - will go to members of the official supporters' club.
While the figure is relatively small, the move represents a significant victory for campaigners and fans.
A FIFA spokesperson said: 'Fans of the national teams that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football's greatest stage more affordable.
'The newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier will be available at the fixed price of USD 60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.'
England have been handed an allocation of eight per cent of capacity at each game. That means for the opener against Croatia in Dallas, they will be given 4,000 in total with 400 available at £45.
However, there are more than 600 ‘top cappers', the highest tier in the group, so FA bosses will have to decide how to distribute them. A ballot is thought to be most likely.
The Football Supporters' Association previous branded the initial price categorisation ‘laughable' and 'scandalous'. ‘Loyalty has been thrown out of the window and supporters of the participating nations have been completely let down', they added.
Football Supporters' Europe went further, saying they were ‘astonished by the extortionate ticket prices imposed by FIFA on the most dedicated supporters for next year's FIFA World Cup'.
A spokesperson added: 'This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.'
Kylian Mbappe's ownership era at Caen has taken a bold new turn after the French club appointed former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Gael Clichy as head coach. The 40-year-old steps into his first senior managerial role amid supporter unrest, with the club banking on his elite pedigree to spark a revival as they struggle in the third tier of French football.
SM Caen have confirmed the appointment of Clichy as head coach, handing the former Arsenal and Manchester City defender his first senior managerial job. The move comes after a turbulent period at the club, both on and off the pitch, following relegation and a damaging run of results.
Clichy replaces Maxime d'Ornano, who was dismissed after Caen failed to meet expectations in the league and suffered a disappointing Coupe de France exit. The club have struggled for consistency and direction since dropping out of Ligue 2, leaving them marooned in a mid-table fight in Championnat National, and in need of a clear reset heading into the second half of the campaign.
The appointment also lands against the backdrop of growing tension between supporters and ownership. Caen are majority-owned by Real Madrid star Mbappe, and recent weeks have seen protests from fans unhappy with the club's sporting decisions, including the sacking of former club legend Nicolas Seube. Clichy now steps into a role carrying both opportunity and pressure.
In confirming the appointment, Caen released a detailed statement outlining why they believe Clichy is the right man to lead the club forward. The club said: “Stade Malherbe Caen announces the arrival of Gael Clichy as head coach of its professional team.”
The statement continued by underlining the qualities they expect the former France international to bring: “A former French international, he will bring to the club his experience at the highest level, his knowledge of modern football, and his high standards.”
Caen also highlighted Clichy's pathway into coaching and the support structure around him, adding: “After his time at Arsenal and Manchester City as a player, Gael quickly transitioned into a hybrid player/coach role at Basaksehir Istanbul and Servette Geneva. He then joined Thierry Henry as manager of the French Under-21 team, an experience that culminated in a second-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He will be accompanied by Marvin Esor, who will complete the current technical staff which remains unchanged. SM Caen welcomes this new coach and offers him its full support to meet the challenges of the second half of the season.”
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Clichy's appointment represents a significant step in his post-playing career. After retiring in 2023, the former left-back moved quickly into coaching, initially taking on hybrid player-coach roles before joining Thierry Henry's staff with the France Under-21 side. That spell proved formative, culminating in an Olympic silver medal on home soil in Paris in 2024.
Clichy brings immense pedigree to Caen as he was part of Arsenal's legendary “Invincibles” side and later enjoyed sustained success at Manchester City, winning multiple Premier League titles. Caen believe that exposure to elite environments under managers such as Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola has equipped him with the tactical grounding and standards required to lead a rebuilding project.
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The context at Caen is far removed from the comforts of top-tier football. The club are operating in France's third tier and dealing with fractured relations between fans and ownership. Supporters have recently unveiled banners aimed at Mbappe, reading: “Mbappe, SMC is not your toy,” underlining the volatile atmosphere Clichy must now navigate alongside the sporting challenge.
Clichy's immediate task will be to stabilise performances and restore belief within the squad. Caen's ambitions remain promotion-focused, but the reality of their league position means the new coach will need to prioritise consistency and structure before any serious push up the table can be mounted.
Off the pitch, Clichy will also be expected to act as a bridge between supporters and the club's hierarchy. With Mbappe's ownership under intense scrutiny, clear communication and visible progress will be crucial if tensions are to be eased and patience rebuilt among the fanbase.
KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
—
The Johnson County Parks and Recreation District wants artists from across the Kansas City region to help create flags for the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer celebration. They're using an unexpected material – fabric from a decommissioned hot air balloon.
JCPRD is seeking 10 local artists who will each design four flags measuring three by six feet. The flags will be flown at Theater in the Park, where the county plans to host a free soccer celebration to watch the matches.
Flags have long served as symbols that bring people together and celebrate cultures worldwide, and Angi Hejduk from JCPRD says that was important to the project.
"The idea of public art as part of FIFA World Cup 2026 is that it was so easy to lean so directly into a soccer theme, versus using it as an opportunity to highlight the incredible artistry that exists in the Kansas City Metro Area," says Hejduk, JCPRD public arts specialist.
Hejduk said this also aims to bridge the gap between the art community and sports, giving artists and opportunity to contribute to events where they might not traditionally see their role.
Applications for interested artists are currently open and will remain available through January 11. The completed flags will be unveiled in May and will remain on display throughout the duration of the World Cup.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.—
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Gary Lineker believes that struggling Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres needs to take a leaf out of in-form Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin's book. The Gunners hoped the Sweden international would be the final piece of the jigsaw in their bid to end their decades-long Premier League title drought. But as the former Sporting CP star underwhelms, ex-England international Lineker has pinpointed a way the forward can improve in front of goal.
Gyokeres scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting before switching to Arsenal for around £64 million ($86m) over the summer. But he has found it much more difficult in the Premier League, where he has scored five goals in 15 games. Despite his struggles, manager Mikel Arteta is, naturally, backing the 27-year-old to come good.
He said earlier this month: "Everybody was so excited to bring him into the club. We did it. We brought a player with an incredible scoring record who had to adapt to the league. He had no pre-season. The first few weeks were difficult because physically he wasn't in his best state and he's a player that needs that, like any other player in this league, almost to perform at that level. I know we need to continue to tweak and understand him a little bit better in certain situations, and he needs to do the same. But that's about time. We have full support for him."
After a lukewarm start to life at Arsenal, ex-Tottenham forward Lineker believes Gyokeres needs to be more proactive in the penalty area to get away from defenders and convert chances. He also thinks that Leeds' Calvert-Lewin is a great example to follow, with the 28-year-old scoring in six straight games in the league.
He said on the Rest is Football podcast: "I've watched him [Gyokeres] quite closely the last few weeks and I think he's like most strikers, is one that waits to see where it's going, the ball, waits until it's crossed and then attacks the space. That's what defenders do, as a striker you got to gamble on where you think the ball might go and you go just as they're about to cross it. You steal a march on the defender that way and lots of the time the ball won't go there, but I don't see him doing that very often. Dominic Calvert Lewin did a perfect example of how to do that for the Leeds goal at Sunderland, perfect. He didn't wait and to see where it was going to go. He went right, I pulled away and then he sprinted at the near post and hoped that the ball would be delivered there and it was. I don't see that too often from Gyokeres at present, the players that score big numbers will do that. You know, [Erling] Haaland, [Harry] Kane, [Robert] Lewandowski, they know how to make those kind of moves into those spaces. Is it something you can learn? I've always thought yes, but because it's actually common sense because it's law of probability when you think about it."
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Leeds looked like relegation fodder just a month or so ago. But wins over Chelsea and Crystal Palace, coupled with creditable draws with Liverpool, Brentford, and Sunderland, have sent them seven points clear of the bottom three. And Calvert-Lewin has been central to that upturn in form, with the ex-Everton man scoring all of his eight goals this term in the box.
When asked about bagging his seventh goal in six matches, he told BBC Match of the Day, "I think we've shown we can mix our game up. We can be direct, we can play football. It's good versatility within the team. A good goal scored. It's always a good feeling to be scoring regularly. I'm in a good moment at the minute. My timing is good. As a team we're gelling a bit more. Things are going well for us. You're in flow. You can make those runs as a centre-forward and sometimes the ball doesn't find you when you're in a dry spell. But you've just got to keep doing it and hope that the tide will turn and that's what has happened for me at the moment. I'm feeling good, feeling strong and I'm enjoying playing with the lads."
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Gyokeres was not at his best in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Brighton at the weekend, so there is a chance he won't start in their crunch clash with high-flying Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. The Swede may have to make do with a place on the bench in a battle between first and third in the division.
Liverpool have been told to plough ahead with a bold move for Arsenal star Jurrien Timber as Arne Slot seeks to address his side's issues in defence. The Reds won the Premier League title last season but this term they are finding their defence much more difficult. The Merseyside outfit have shipped 26 goals in just 18 league games and now they're being urged to strengthen their backline.
While Liverpool have won their last three league games and are up to fourth in the Premier League after going on their worst run of form for decades, they still can be got at defensively. Indeed, captain Virgil van Dijk expressed his concern about his side's frailties when it comes to set-pieces, with the Reds letting in 12 goals from that facet of the game this season.
He said after Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolves at the weekend: "There have been plenty of games when we have defended them very well. But the fact is we've conceded too many set-piece goals and we don't score enough. It's something we have to improve. I would say at least 75% of the time or even more, it's not even about the first contact. It's the second phase that is the killer. Is it a mental thing? I hope not. If that's in your head then it's an issue. Personally, it's not in my head. We have defended so many set-pieces very well. But we've conceded too many goals like that and it hurts. We have to improve that. Training is the only way to get better at it. It's not been good enough. We all realise that. We have spoken about it. We need to turn it around. That's why we work on it almost every training session."
Head coach Slot is well aware that Liverpool are shipping goals from set-pieces but they are also not scoring from corners, free-kicks, or throw-ins. Despite that, they are still finding a way to win of late.
The Dutchman added: "Unfortunately, we're maybe the only team that hardly ever scores from a set-piece and, even worse, we constantly concede. But then, I think I said two, three or four weeks ago, we have to make sure that when things go against us – it could be a set-piece, it could be other things – we still need to find a way to win. In the last two games, we conceded from a set-piece but we were able to win and that hasn't happened many times this season. That's progress for me, but it's obvious there are more things for us to improve and this is definitely one of them. I think we have been unlucky in multiple situations in our set-pieces. It is 18 games now, and we need to improve."
Timber has been one of Arsenal's best players this season, and even though he has two-and-a-half-years left on his contract, the Premier League leaders are reportedly trying to extend his stay at Emirates Stadium. Despite that, former Reds defender Stephen Warnock thinks the versatile defender would be the perfect option to fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold following his summer move to Real Madrid. It seems he does not think too much of Liverpool's right-back options of Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.
He told Aceodds: "When I look at the defence and who Liverpool should sign, personally I think they need a centre back and a right back In the right back position they have Frimpong, Gomez and Bradley. All three are injury-prone and they are not robust enough to play week in week out, and that is something they have to go away from. Liverpool has to look at how reliable their players are to play every single week, and at the moment those players aren't fit enough for that. That is a major issue for Liverpool at the moment. Liverpool are a better team when they have a proper right back in that position. It balances the team better and allows Szoboszlai to play in the midfield. So, I think signing a right back is equally as important as signing a centre back at the moment. The issue I have with right backs at the moment is that it always seems to be midfield players playing there, the Guardiola style. I think you need a specialist for that right back, which can be difficult to find in January. In an ideal world I would bring in Jurrien Timber, but I don't think Arsenal would allow that. I think he is the best right back in the league. I think he is brilliant. Someone of that quality who is good in 1v1 situations. Since his ACL injury he has shown his robustness to come back."
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Table-topping Arsenal have arguably the toughest fixture going on Tuesday when they take on third-placed Aston Villa, who won the reverse fixture at Villa Park earlier this month and are on an 11-game winning streak. Liverpool, on the other hand, welcome Leeds United to Anfield on 1 January.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will offer Thomas Tuchel 'something different' at the World Cup.
That is the view of talkSPORT's Darren Ambrose as he backed calls for the Leeds United striker to receive an England re-call.
Calvert-Lewin has not played for the Three Lions for over four years but is currently in record-breaking form for his club.
The 28-year-old scored in his sixth consecutive Premier League appearance on Sunday with his goal against Sunderland.
It is the first time the forward has done so as he took his tally for the season to eight.
Calvert-Lewin is currently the highest-scoring Englishman in the Premier League ahead of next summer's World Cup.
Discussing his current form, Ambrose told The Final Word: "He's got seven in his last six, but he has eight this season.
"This purple [patch] he's on at the moment is probably the best of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
"The Dominic Calvert-Lewin that got into that England side, the Dominic Calvert-Lewin that, in my opinion, should and could go to the World Cup."
Calvert-Lewin has four goals in 11 caps for England but has not been called up since Euro 2020.
His last appearance for the Three Lions came in July 2021 against Ukraine in the quarter-finals of that tournament.
However, Tuchel's options up front appear lacking behind all-time leading scorer Harry Kane.
The England captain was the only recognised striker named in the most recent squad.
Asked if there is a chance Calvert-Lewin goes to the World Cup, Ambrose added: "Yes, I certainly think there is.
"If you look at the forwards that they have. Yes, Harry Kane is number one, he is number one, when he's fit, he plays.
"You've got Ollie Watkins, you've got Dominic Solanke, where that guy is I don't know. You don't even get updates about Dominic Solanke anymore."
Dominic Solanke has been limited to just two league appearance for Tottenham Hotspur this season due to injury.
Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins' brace against Chelsea on Saturday took his tally to five in 18 league outings for Aston Villa this term.
The depth in attack is a concern for Rory Jennings, who admitted: "I feel like the drop off from Harry Kane to whoever we have to go for is stark."
Ambrose believes this helps Calvert-Lewin's case as he argued: "Dominic Calvert-Lewin offers you something different to Harry Kane.
"The goal he scored today, it was instinct. It was a forward on form, it was a forward full of confidence."
England are next in action in March, with friendlies against Uruguay and Japan ahead of their World Cup campaign in the summer.
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“One Battle After Another” is a film littered with great moments, from the captivating prologue that Teyana Taylor dominates to the poignant “American Girl” needle drop that closes the epic out. But there's one sequence the film that critics and audiences have singled out as a standout: the stomach-churning, incredibly suspenseful road chase along a winding desert highway path that serves as the film's tense climax.
“The road, man,” Luke Lynch, editor of “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions,” told “One Battle” editor Andy Jurgensen during IndieWire's Editors craft roundtables. “I mean, it's just a road, but it's playing with lenses and movement and timing and the suspense that you're building.”
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Jurgensen and Lynch spoke about their respective films at IndieWire's Editing Craft Roundtable, hosted by IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill. Also in attendance were the editors behind “Hamnet,” “Dead Man's Wire,” “A House of Dynamite,” and “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” who spoke about the challenges and accomplishments of assembling their films.
Speaking on his work behind the car chase sequence, Jurgensen said that the sequence was difficult to cut down. To get it to the right length, he relied a lot on the sound department's input to figure out the right rhythm for the shots.
“You know, there's a lot of footage, we shot from all the different perspectives,” Jurgensen said during the roundtable. “I made selects, was just choosing the best things. It was really long for the longest time. Sending it to the sound department early helped a lot, because we could kind of give each of the cars their own sound, as their own character. So even though it was really long, then I could just take that really long sequence and chop it up and still use their stems to kind of still have that same feeling, the layering on that sort of orchestra sound going up and down over some of the different hill sounds. So it was just fine-tuning till the very last day of the mix.”
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A funny thing happened when Netflix put the “Stranger Things” finale in theaters: Fans bought tickets. A lot of tickets.
The AMC Kips Bay in New York City listed 11 screenings as “almost full” on New Year's Eve alone. (There are New Year's Day showings, as well.) The 34th Street theater filled up nine screenings, and Lincoln Square had five showings nearing capacity. The same demand was seen on the opposite coast in Los Angeles, where The Grove packed the house for seven screenings, the Century City AMC had eight, and Universal CityWalk turned out 11. Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and more cities where the finale is playing saw similar demand, and all of these sales took place days before showtime. (These figures were tallied on Sunday, December 28.) By New Year's Eve, Netflix's latest “event” screenings should be even busier.
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Now, this may not be surprising to some of you — “Stranger Things” is one of the most-watched properties on Netflix and has been for nearly a decade — but it took me off guard. So much of the discussion (online and off) around the last few seasons has skewed negative — egregious episode lengths, repetitive storytelling, lackluster thrills — I forgot that the silent majority either still likes what they're seeing or likes it enough to keep tuning in.
Even so, it's one thing to get people to watch at home for the cost of a monthly subscription, and — as many a studio executive will tell you — it's quite another to get people to go out to a theater and buy a ticket. That thousands of people will ring in the new year by watching TV at their local cineplex — despite its simultaneous availability at home, on the same platform where fans have watched every other episode — tells us just how popular the series remains. (And just how popular communal viewing experiences remain.)
I doubt Netflix will announce exactly how well (or how poorly) “Stranger Things” does in its limited theatrical run, but even the anecdotal evidence supports an unconventional path forward for the series. Maybe what's next for the Hawkins gang isn't another series at all. Maybe they should stay in theaters long-term.
OK, before unpacking that plan, I hear you: The finale hasn't even been released yet, so why are we jumping ahead to what's next? Well, because we know “Stranger Things” isn't really going to end with Season 5, Episode 8, “The Rightside Up.” Short-term, there's an animated spinoff, “Stranger Things: Tales from '85,” set to premiere in 2026. Long-term, “Stranger Things” is one of the few properties Netflix can even claim as a legitimate franchise. (Remember when “The Witcher” was a franchise? No? That's because it didn't last long.) Even if the Warner Bros. acquisition goes through, granting Netflix access to the studio's treasure trove of proven I.P., the surviving executives aren't simply going to forget about their old toys because they can now play with Batman and Superman.
And believe me: I'd love it if they did forget. “Stranger Things” was originally conceived as a limited series, and each new season only underscored why its narrative wasn't meant for unlimited growth (personified quite well by the main cast's awkward, timeline-shattering growth spurts). A definitive ending would be great! But in a TV era that's revived everything from “Sex and the City” to “The Sopranos” (not to mention raising “Dexter” from the dead), it's absurd to expect more recent hits to wrap things up for good.
Really, the expansion has already begun. Netflix has been churning out supplemental products in ancillary markets for years, and all of them — the books, games, even the Broadway show — feel like the secondary stories they are. Will the animated spinoff be any better? It's too soon to say, but given it takes place “between Seasons 2 and 3,” I'm not holding my breath.
So while contemplating what that franchise could look like — aka while staring down the barrel of watching (and reviewing) umpteen “Stranger Things” spinoffs, prequels, and side quests — I came to the (professionally convenient) conclusion that the series needs a reinvention. It shouldn't jump back to show us the origins of Hawkins Laboratory or “fill in the gaps” between preexisting seasons. It shouldn't reboot itself in a new town or a new time period. It shouldn't launch a spinoff centered on Holly Wheeler or “Delightful” Derek.
In other words, “Stranger Things” shouldn't become a universe. It should just make sequels. And those sequels should be movies.
Why? Well, to start with, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have always been preoccupied with movies. Their series is fueled by nostalgia, and that nostalgia largely stems from classic films like “E.T.,” “The Goonies,” and “Alien” (among many, many other influences). Their narrative structure can also skew closer to a long movie than a proper TV show, since seasons tend to distinguish themselves more clearly than episodes do. When trying to pinpoint a notable hourlong arc — not a moment or set piece, but an identifiable story contained within a single episode — my mind first went to the show's biggest flop (Season 2's “The Lost Sister,” in which the Duffer brothers tried their hands at a backdoor pilot).
That catastrophe very much included, it often feels like the Duffers look down on television. They've repeatedly referred to their TV show as a movie, and they eschew TV terminology in describing “Stranger Things” whenever possible: Episodes are called “chapters,” and seasons are labeled like movie sequels. To watch, say, “The West Wing” on Netflix, you'll click a drop-down menu and choose to start with Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, etc. To watch “Stranger Things,” that same drop-down menu simply offers “Stranger Things 2,” Stranger Things 3,” “Stranger Things 4,” or “Stranger Things 5.” “Season” is nowhere to be found.
Seasons also don't appear to be their priority going forward. When the brothers moved their overall deal from Netflix to Paramount, they mentioned their “ambition to write, produce, and direct large-scale theatrical films.” Sure, the deal includes TV and streaming projects, too, but including this particular language in the official announcement sure sounds like they'll be concentrating on the big screen for a bit.
So why not let them? Sure, what the Duffer brothers want may be beside the point — I won't pretend to know how to sort out the legal complications between their new deal with Paramount, Netflix's rights to “Stranger Things,” and its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. — but if we assume the creators will somehow be involved in the franchise moving forward, the case for moving forward with movies makes even more sense. Finales kill momentum. Sequels need to bring it back. Not only might movies spark the brothers' creative interest (in a way the last few seasons clearly haven't), but they could also reignite cultural interest.
Call it wishful thinking, but aren't we tired of Hollywood's modern franchise playbook? Everything is connected, every setting is a universe, and every story is worth telling somehow. Maybe it's a limited series that gets turned into an ongoing series, so long as the first season hits. Maybe it's a reboot that brings in a new cast, only to bring back the old cast when audiences are bored with the new one. Maybe it's a spinoff of a spinoff, made mainly to sell soundtracks.
For as complicated as these franchise tie-ins can sound, they're easy to see through. People are exhausted with prequels; for every “Andor” there's an “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and a “Book of Boba Fett,” for every “House of the Dragon” there's a “Rings of Power” and “Dune: Prophecy.” Spinoffs aren't as out of favor at the moment, but their long TV history has taught us just how tricky they are to pull off; usually, the best ones require a revamp, like “Frasier” (after “Cheers”) or “The Good Fight” (after “The Good Wife”), or they're so formulaic, they just need to keep the train on the tracks (like your “NCIS” and “Chicago” shows).
“Stranger Things” isn't really conducive to either tack. As much as Netflix would love to launch “Stranger Things: Normal, IL,” the series isn't rooted in a case-of-the-week structure — spinoffs will need their own narrative engines. And as much as Netflix loves spinoffs (“Wednesday,” “The Gentlemen,” “Queer Eye,” every new season of “Monster” — all of which are treated like new shows: accessible to anyone and everyone, with the added benefit of serving as a gateway drug to a preexisting properties), it's moving away from the risks typically required to make good ones. (We're still in the “gourmet cheeseburgers” era.)
So rather than try to turn “Stranger Things” into something it isn't, or play by modern TV's rulebook for expanding a franchise, why not retreat to the relative safety of an old Hollywood strategy? Just make sequels. Bring back as many of the main cast members as you need. (I'm sure many of them will be available for the right price.) Continue the existing story. (If Vecna can just “return” as the Big Bad after Season 4, he can either come back again or, preferably, the Duffers can cook up another creepy villain.) Release a new entry every five years or so (to protect the brand and build anticipation the old-fashioned way — waiting). Plus, TV doesn't need more blockbusters, while movies (and theaters) still do.
Ending the series gives the franchise a key opportunity to course-correct. The repetitive plots can be jettisoned. (Dream big for the big screen, Duffer bros.) The exorbitant cast can be culled. (No more new characters to fill out side quests that only exist to pad out an eight-hour season.) The movies can be movie-length without people complaining about two-hour “episodes,” and the narrative timeline can be adjusted to accommodate whoever comes back. (No more 25-year-olds playing teens! Hooray!) Making sequels into movies also fits Netflix's presumed future (with Warner Bros.), and it fits the show's original inspirations. (Here's hoping the sequels' quality skews closer to “Aliens” than “Poltergeist II: The Other Side.”)
But most of all, movies feel like what “Stranger Things” has always wanted to be. The Duffers were inspired by the films of their youth, so let them work out what's next in the same form. After all, TV doesn't need more blockbusters, but movies — and theaters — still do.
“Stranger Things” Season 5, Volume 3 — the series finale — premieres Wednesday, December 31 at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix and in theaters.
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Cameron weighs in on Kathryn Bigelow's nuke thriller and explains why its cliffhanger ending was actually perfect.
By
James Hibberd
Writer-at-Large
James Cameron made waves when he called Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer a “moral cop-out” for not depicting the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
So what does he think of the ending of Netflix‘s A House of Dynamite, which — spoilers follow — stops just shy of showing potential nuclear destruction in America?
The riveting thriller's ending divided viewers when it was released in October, with some feeling the film pulled a punch by wrapping on a cliffhanger, leaving the audience unsure if a rogue ICBM destroyed Chicago, and how the film's president (Idris Elba) responded.
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A House of Dynamite was directed by Kathryn Bigelow — Cameron's friend, former spouse and frequent collaborator — and the Avatar filmmaker tells The Hollywood Reporter that he had dinner with Bigelow just a few weeks ago and they discussed the ending.
“I said to her, ‘I utterly defend that ending,'” he says. “It's really the only possible ending. You don't get to the end of [the classic short story] ‘The Lady or the Tiger?‘ and know what's behind which door.”
Continued Cameron: “But that's not even really the point. The point is: From the moment the scenerio began at minute zero when the missile was launched and detected, the outcome already sucked. There was no good outcome, and the movie spent two hours showing you there is no good outcome. We cannot countenance these weapons existing at all. And it all boils down to one guy in the American system, the president, who is the only person allowed to launch a nuclear strike, either offensively or defensively, and the lives of every person on the planet revolve around that one person. That's the world we live in and we need to remember that when we vote next time.”
Concluded the filmmaker: “So the end of that movie was the only way that movie could have ended because — as the computer says at the end of War Games — ‘the only way to win is not to play.'”
Cameron has used his work to warn about the threat of nuclear war going back to his 1984 feature debut, The Terminator. His films Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Abyss and True Lies also revolved around nuclear threats.
The director has obtained the rights to the Charles Pellegrino's book Ghosts of Hiroshima, which chronicles the true story of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who in 1945 survived the nuclear blasts at both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Cameron promised Yamaguchi on his deathbed in 2010 that he'd make the film.
On the subject of Oppenheimer, Cameron previously told Deadline, “it's interesting what he stayed away from. Look, I love the filmmaking, but I did feel that it was a bit of a moral cop out. Because it's not like Oppenheimer didn't know the effects [of the bomb]. He's got one brief scene in the film where we see — and I don't like to criticize another filmmaker's film – but there's only one brief moment where he sees some charred bodies in the audience and then the film goes on to show how it deeply moved him. But I felt that it dodged the subject. I don't know whether the studio or Chris felt that that was a third rail that they didn't want to touch, but I want to go straight at the third rail. I'm just stupid that way.”
For more from James Cameron's wide-ranging and deep-dive interview with THR, read this week's cover story: James Cameron Is Ready to Move Beyond Avatar: “I've Got Other Stories to Tell.”
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By Greg Evans
NY & Broadway Editor
Peyton List, whose TV credits include the Paramount+ series School Spirits and Netflix's Cobra Kai, will take to the stage later this month when she joins the hit Off Broadway revival of Heathers The Musical.
Beginning Monday, January 26, List will take over the role of Heather Chandler, currently being played by Jodie Steele. List joins a cast that includes Casey Likes, Kuhoo Verma, Jackera Davis, Elizabeth Teete, Kerry Butler, among others.
Since beginning previews at New World Stages on June 22 and officially opening July 10, Heathers, directed by Andy Fickman, has broken the house record four times as well as building the largest advance in the venue's 21-year history. The production recently extended its run for the second time and is playing through May 24, 2026.
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“I'm drawn to characters who are powerful, complicated, and a little dangerous,” said List in a statement. “Heather Chandler is an icon for a reason – she's larger than life, hilarious, terrifying, and deeply symbolic. Stepping into this role is thrilling, and I can't wait to enter my bad girl era. It'll be so very.”
Watch on Deadline
List stars as Maddie Nears in Paramount+'s School Spirits, and serves as Executive Producer. The series returns for its third season this month. On Netflix's Cobra Kai, which ended its sixth and final season as one of Netflix's most popular series earlier this year, List played Tory Nichols.
Previously, List played Emma Ross on Disney Channel's Jessie before reprising the character in the spinoff series Bunk'd. Other television credits include Hulu's supernatural thriller Light as a Feather, the dystopian feature The Thinning, and CBS' Happy Together. Film credits include the Netflix romantic drama Girl Haunts Boy, the supernatural thriller The Inheritance opposite Bob Gunton, and the sci-fi drama Anthem of a Teenage Prophet.
Heathers features book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness The Musical) & Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde The Musical, Bat Boy The Musical), based on the 1989 film by Daniel Waters.
The cult film starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater (and Kim Walker in the Heather Chandler role), Heathers originally opened in Los Angeles for a sold-out run in 2013 and originally transferred to Off Broadway's New World Stages in 2014. Heathers has had three West End productions and three tours, which have broken box office records throughout the UK and Ireland.
The synopsis: Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she's unexpectedly taken under the wings of The Heathers – three beautiful and impossibly cruel classmates all named Heather – her dreams of popularity finally start to come true. That is until J.D., the mysterious teen rebel, turns up and teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it's murder being a somebody.
Heathers is produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd., Paul Taylor-Mills, Jerry Goehring, Madison Mohn, Phil Kenny, Scott Prisand/Rob Kolson, The Broadway Investor's Club, John Gore Organization, No Guarantees Productions, Willette and Manny Klausner, Aron Tomko and Gabe Alves, Carl Moellenberg, The Shubert Organization, Inc., Nick Padgett/Vasi Laurence, Andrew Patino/Chris Devlin, Richard Batchelder, David Alperson, Carlos Candal & Paul Mansfield, 42nd.club/SunnySpot Productions, annjen Productions/David Treatman Creative, Andrew Paradis/Kelly Lamor Wilson,Charlie Hitchcock/Ben Feldman, Michael Cohen/Robin Reinach, Jesse & Kathy McKendry, Alexander Robertson & Oliver Ives Indictor, Backstreets Productions, Louis Santor, Adam Cohen, and Nicholas Kaiser.
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By Max Goldbart, Jesse Whittock
EXCLUSIVE: The BBC's most famous fringe is coming to a sofa near you.
Deadline can reveal that The Claudia Winkleman Show has been officially commissioned and will launch next spring. The news comes three days before the fourth season of the Winkleman-hosted The Traitors launches.
Winkleman, who is enjoying quite the purple patch after a 30-year career, will front the seven-episode primetime BBC talk show that will “welcome the biggest names from the worlds of film, television, music and beyond to her sofa for lively conversation with the help of a studio audience,” the BBC said. Broadcast information and guests will be revealed “in due course.”
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The Claudia Winkleman Show will debut on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in spring 2026. We revealed that the long-gestating chat show was being produced by The Graham Norton Show maker So Television and Little Arrow in October. Those plans, we understand, will see Winkleman's series broadcast when The Graham Norton Show is off-air in the spring, meaning there will be no clashes between the shows and they will not be competing for guests. The BBC recently renewed The Graham Norton Show for another three years, while its recent run of episodes has boasted eye-catching bookings including Taylor Swift. Winkleman earned her chat show stripes by stepping in for Norton earlier this year when the Irish presenter was on a break from his BBC duties. ITV Studios-backed So Television has made more than 550 episodes of his Friday night talk show since 2007.
Watch on Deadline
“Claudia is a true national treasure – warm, witty and endlessly entertaining,” said BBC commissioning editor Kalpna Patel-Knight. “She has an extraordinary ability to put people at ease and bring out the very best in them, whether they're global superstars or members of the audience.”
Winkleman's star has soared since hosting the first season of The Traitors in 2022 and its celebrity spin-off several weeks back. She also fronts Channel 4's The Piano, while she presented BBC Radio 2's Saturday morning breakfast show until last year. She will have more time on her hands, however, now that she has presented her final episode of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC Saturday night juggernaut that she has fronted with Tess Daly since 2010.
The latest civilian season of The Traitors is set to launch on New Year's Day (January 1, 2026). Winkleman has been in the press overnight teasing “truly extraordinary” twists and “hardcore” round tables for the murder mystery reality series, with a red-cloaked figure keeping fans guessing.
Winkleman said: “I can't quite believe it and I'm incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing opportunity. I'm obviously going to be awful, that goes without saying, but I'm over the moon they're letting me try.”
So Television Managing Director Graham Stuart added: “Graham Norton has made the Friday night talk show slot a dazzling appointment to view. How can you possibly follow that? By booking a host equally as brilliant. So we have.”
So Television's co-production partner on Winkleman's chat show, Little Arrow, is the management and production company launched by Winkleman's agent, Holly Bott, in July 2024. The company has the backing of Operation Mincemeat maker Archery Pictures, the drama production house that Winkleman's husband, Kris Thykier, leads as CEO.
Executive producers on The Claudia Winkleman Show are Stuart and Ruth Phillips. Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, commissioned and the commissioning editor is Neil McCallum. ITV Studios is selling The Claudia Winkleman Show around the world.
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“Southern Hospitality” star Grace Lilly was arrested after cops found “happy pills” in her car, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
The 27-year-old was arrested by the Charleston Police Department and booked at the Charleston County Jail on Monday at 1:40 a.m. local time. We can confirm that she is still behind bars.
According to the police report, officers had a warrant out for Lilly's arrest for a second-degree harassment charge.
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On Sunday, around 11 p.m. local time, Lilly was driving her Mercedes in Charleston with someone named Brandon Klavon as her passenger, per the police report.
After an alleged illegal lane change, Lilly was pulled over at a Circle K gas station.
The Bravolebrity was ordered to step out of the vehicle and was handcuffed, at which point she allegedly requested that her purse come with her.
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“Inside the purse, a small container with ‘Happy Pills' imprinted on the top was located, which contained 12 circular white pills with a ‘P' imprint on one side, and half of an oblong blue pill with no identifiable imprints,” the police report states.
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“When asked about the pills found inside the purse, the offender stated that the blue pill was Xanax and the white pills were birth control. The offender stated she had a prescription for the Xanax but did not have any proof of that information available at the time.”
According to the police report, Lilly didn't know the brand of the alleged birth control pills.
All of the pills were seized and sent for testing, with the crime incident being identified on the police report as a “drugs/narcotics violation.”
In her mug shot, Lilly wore a blue-and-white checkered uniform and pouted her lips as she flashed the camera a smoldering stare. She wore her long, brown hair down and parted down the middle.
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On Sunday, around 8:45 p.m. local time, the model posted a selfie on her Instagram Story, telling her followers that she was getting ready to see the movie “Marty Supreme.”
Her reps, as well as reps for Bravo, did not immediately respond to Page Six's requests for comment.
The US Sun was first to report on the arrest.
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In 1986, James Cameron was a young filmmaker under immense pressure as the writer and director of “Aliens,” a big-budget follow-up to Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi classic. Although tensions were high, he formed several alliances on that movie that would serve him well for decades to come — star Sigourney Weaver, for example, became a key collaborator on later films, up to and including Cameron's latest, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
Even more pivotal was Cameron's partnership with special effects artist Stan Winston, who had previously joined forces with the director on “The Terminator” but brought the collaboration to new artistic heights (and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects) with his designs for “Aliens.” Winston and Cameron reteamed in 1991 for “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (a dual Oscar-winner for Winston in the categories of makeup and visual effects), and it was not long after that film that Cameron and Winston had a fateful conversation.
Related Stories Subscribe to Our New Craft Newsletter, Top of the Line: This Week, Oona Chaplin Supreme Inside How Josh Safdie Filmed the Ping-Pong Matches in ‘Marty Supreme'
“I had noodled around with [CG] a bit on ‘The Abyss,' and then we committed to it on ‘Terminator 2' with the liquid metal guy, the T-1000,” Cameron told IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “Stan Winston had been my close creative partner on that film, doing the prosthetics part of the T-1000, and then ILM did the CG part.” A couple of years after “Terminator 2,” Cameron visited Winston at his studio, where Winston and his team did a victory lap after completing work on Steven Spielberg's “Jurassic Park.”
“‘Jurassic Park' was also a split,” Cameron said. “It was a hybrid production, very much like ‘T2.' Right after that film, I went over to Stan's studio and saw these people working in Maya — there were, I think, 12 or 15 workstations. I said, ‘Stan, what are you doing?' He said, ‘CG is the future of character and creature creation.' I said, ‘You really believe that?' and he said, ‘Absolutely.' And this is a guy that was based in foam rubber and hydraulics and cables and puppeteering.”
It turns out that Cameron also believed CG was the future, and he convinced Winston to start the visual effects company Digital Domain with him. “Why have 15 people when you can have 500?” Cameron said. “We were ahead of the curve because we had direct experience seeing how powerful [CG] could be, how compelling it could be to the audience. So we went down that path, and we never looked back.”
Digital Domain would create effects not only for Cameron productions like “True Lies” and “Titanic,” but also for everything from Martin Scorsese's “Kundun” to Michael Bay's “Armageddon.” The company's biggest challenge and biggest gamble, however, was on the original “Avatar” in 2009. According to Cameron, it was such a complex endeavor that it wasn't until three years into production that the filmmakers had a single completed shot they could use in the movie. By that time, Winston was ill and no longer coming into work.
“I called Stan,” Cameron said. “I knew he was sick. I said, ‘You've got to see this,' and he said all right.” Cameron went to Winston's house the next day and waited for hours with the footage on his laptop, but Winston wasn't up for a visit. “His son Matt came down and said, ‘It's not gonna be today.' I said, ‘All right, I'll come back tomorrow. Came back the next day and the housekeeper answered the door and told me he'd died.”
Even though Winston never saw the first completed shot — or the film as a whole — Cameron considers him a co-author of the “Avatar” series. “He never saw it, but was his vision as much as mine. I always feel like we're carrying his idea on, that it's all about putting something on screen that's compelling, and the more impossible and unexplainable it is, the better, because Stan never wanted you to see the guys with the levers and the cables. He just wanted you to see the magic.”
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is currently in theaters. To hear the entire conversation with James Cameron and make sure you don't miss a single episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
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Lisa Rinna had a long run on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” but it could have been even longer. The former RHOBH cast member revealed in a recent interview that she auditioned for the first season of the Bravo reality show in 2010, but that Andy Cohen stopped her from being hired.
“I was up for Housewives season one,” Rinna, 62, revealed on the “Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show.” “I went in for casting. I got pretty far. And Andy said, ‘I don't want any actresses on the show.' So he wouldn't — [he] didn't hire me.”
“Season five, when I came in, he decided to let actresses come, and they hired me and Eileen Davidson,” the former “Days of Our Lives” star continued. “So it did change the game because we came in as soap actors, like together.”
Rinna added that she “only” had fun with Davidson, who appeared on three seasons of the show. “Because it was not fun. None of it is fun,” she added.
Rinna was a cast member on RHOBH from Season 5 through Season 12. She announced her exit from the show in January 2023. Cohen, who serves as an executive producer on Bravo's “Real Housewives” franchise, said Rinna had “an iconic run” on RHOBH, according to People magazine.
Even though the first seasons of RHOBH featured sibling actresses Kim and Kyle Richards, Cohen admitted he was against the idea of having actresses on the cast.
“I actually have mixed feelings about having stars on the show,” Cohen told The Hollywood Reporter in a May 2024 interview. “When Lisa Rinna was trying out for Season 1 of ‘Beverly Hills,' I was very much against the idea. Like, she's already a celebrity! But then she came, and it made perfect sense.”
After Rinna announced her departure from RHOBH, Cohen addressed the news on his SiriusXM show, “Andy Cohen Live.”
“First, you've gotta give props to Lisa Rinna for being, by the way, eight years,” said Cohen. “I mean, she's a working actor. She's been an actor. Usually, you don't get a part on a show that goes for eight years. So this is a reality show, and that is a testament to how compelling Lisa Rinna is to watch on television that she went eight years.”
‘[She] has been really a huge part of ‘Beverly Hills,'” he added. “I really do hope that this is a pause. I hope she will come back. I really do . …I just hope that Lisa will humor us and comes back. …I do hope that this is a pause, because I always enjoyed Lisa Rinna on my TV.”
Despite being behind some of RHOBH's messiest scenes, Rinna has been very adamant that her days as a Bravo star are done.
In a 2024 interview on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” Rinna said she would “never” return to the “Real Housewives” after leaving on her own terms.
“No. Never. No, I wouldn't,” she told Hudson. “I am grateful for that show. I am the person I am today because of it, but I'll never go back.”
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By
Jon Blistein
Frankie Muniz gets lured back into the sticky web of his wackadoo family in the first teaser for the Malcolm in the Middle: Life Still Unfair reboot.
The 40-second clip opens with a grown-up Malcolm asserting proudly, “My life is fantastic now! All I had to do is stay away from my family.” But that carefully erected barrier crumbles when his parents, Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), insist their middle child attend their 40th wedding anniversary party.
The new teaser doesn't give much away in terms of plot, though it is filled with plenty of hijinks: a pink-clad army toting confetti cannons, Malcolm hiding from Lois in a bathroom stall, and Hal bashing some poor guy over the head with what looks like a typewriter. There's also a glimpse at one of the reboot's new dynamics, between Malcolm and his own teenage daughter (Keeley Karson), who encourages her dad to reunite with his family.
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Along with Muniz, Cranston, and Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle: Life Is Unfair will feature Chris Kennedy Masterson and Justin Berfield reprising their roles as Malcolm's brothers Francis and Reese, and Amy Coligado as Francis' wife, Piama. The only member of the original cast not returning is Erik Par Sullivan, who played Hal and Lois' youngest son, Dewey, in the original series; Caleb Ellsworth-Clark will take over the role in the reboot. (Sullivan is reportedly working on a master's degree in Victorian literature.) As for new cast members, Karson and Ellsworth-Clark will be joined by Vaughan Murrae and Kiana Madeira.
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Malcolm in the Middle: Life Still Unfair is set premiere April 10 on Hulu. The four-episode series was directed entirely by Ken Kwapis, who directed many episodes of the original series. Malcolm in the Middle enjoyed a very successful run, airing seven seasons and 151 episodes between 2000 and 2006.
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Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.
By Erik Pedersen
Managing Editor
Netflix‘s Frankenstein from Guillermo del Toro rose from its slab today with a leading four film nominations for the 2026 MUAHS Guild Awards. Universal's Wicked: For Good and Warner Bros' Sinners, One Battle After Another and Weapons are next with three noms apiece from the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild.
Netflix's Stranger Things 5, NBC's Saturday Night Live and ABC's Dancing with the Stars topped the TV field, followed by the streamer's Wednesday and Monster: The Ed Gein Story with three each.
Winners will be feted during the 13th annual MUAHS Awards on Saturday, February 14, at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles. See the full nominees list below.
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RELATED: 2026 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Grammys, Guilds & More
Netflix led all distributors and platforms with 20 nominations over HBO Max's 14, 11 of which are shared with Warner Bros Pictures.
IATSE Local 706's awards honor outstanding achievements in the artistry and creativity of makeup artists and hairstylists. Nominations for calendar year 2025 span 20 categories across film, TV, music videos and live stage productions — which include Broadway, international theater and theme parks.
Since the modern MUAHS Awards began in 2014, one of its marquee film winners for makeup or hair has gone on the claim the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar every year except twice — but one of those was in 2025. The Academy Award went to Poor Things, which was up for two of the guild's awards but went home empty-handed. The only other time was in 2022, when The Eyes of Tammy Faye won the Oscar but was shut out at the MUAHS.
RELATED: The 2026 Oscars: Everything We Know About The Ceremony, Host, Date & More So Far
Here are the nominees for the 2026 MUAHS Awards:
FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE
Best Contemporary Make-Up
Bugonia (Focus Features)Torsten Witte
Eddington (A24)Colin Penman, Lisa Hansell
Jurassic World: Rebirth (Universal Pictures)Jana Carboni, Charlie Hounslow, Nik Buck, Aisling Nairn, Lauren Baldwin
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Heba Thorisdottir, Mandy Artusato
Superman (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Alexei Dmitriew, LuAndra Whitehurst, Nicole Sortillon Amos, Amanda Sprunger
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up
Frankenstein (Netflix)Jordan Samuel, Oriana Rossi, Kristin Wayne, Patricia Keighran, Lizzi Lawson Zeiss
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Ken Diaz, Siân Richards, Ned Neidhardt, Allison laCour, Lana Mora
The Smashing Machine (A24)Felix Fox, Darah Wyant, Amanda Imeson, Harlow MacFarlane, Maiko Gomyo
Weapons (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Leo Satkovich, Mark Ross, Jason Collins, Kaylee Kehne-Swisher, Brie Bastianson
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbomio, Sarah Nuth
Best Special Make-Up Prosthetics
Frankenstein (Netflix)Mike Hill, Megan Many
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Arjen Tuiten, Jessica Nelson
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Mike Fontaine, Bailey Domke, Kelsey Berk, Kevin Wasner, Cristina Patterson
Weapons (Warner Bros.Pictures/ HBO Max)Jason Collins, Leo Satkovich, Mike McCarty, Mark Ross, Kaylee Kehne-Swisher
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Stephen Murphy, Susie Redfern
Best Contemporary Hair Styling
Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix)Heike Merker, Alex Kwan
Bugonia (Focus Features)Torsten Witte
Naked Gun (Paramount)Joyce M. Gilliard, Nadia Sobh, Tomica Sarver
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Ahou Mofid, Gina Maria DeAngelis, Sacha Quarles
Superman (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Peter Swords King, Lindsay McAllister, Magnolia Lowe
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling
Frankenstein (Netflix)Cliona Furey, Tim Nolan, Laura Solari, Tori Binns, Katarina Chovanec
Marty Supreme (A24)Kay Georgiou, Jimmy Goode, Michael Buonincontro, Mitchell Beck
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Shunika Terry-Jennings, Elizabeth Robinson, Tene Wilder, Jove Edmond, Sherri B. Hamilton
Weapons (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Melizah Wheat, Monty Schuth, Nashi Tumlinson
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)Frances Hannon, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes, Laura Blount
TELEVISION SERIES – LIMITED OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION
Best Contemporary Make-Up (tie; six nominees)
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu)Constance Foe, Jenn Bennett, Carla Rosso-Neal, Brandy Allen, Nick Fischer
All's Fair (Hulu)Tierra Richards, Victor Del Castillo, Chloe Sens, Naima Jamal, Diana Shin
Emily in Paris (Netflix)Aurélie Payen, Sarah Damen, Fred Marin, Fanny Maurer, Carole Nicolas
I Love LA (HBO Max)Michelle Chung, Erin Rosenmann, Afton Storton
The Studio (Apple TV+)Jorjee Douglass, Gillian Whitlock, Robin Glaser, Cassie Lyons, James Freitas
The White Lotus (HBO Max)Rebecca Hickey, Michelle Kearns, Vicky Nugent, Wattana Garum
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up
Chief of War (Apple TV+)Christien David Tinsley, Hugo Villasenor, Bianca Appice, Carlton Coleman
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)Corey Castellano, Heather Koontz
Palm Royale (Apple TV+)Tricia Sawyer, Marissa Lafayette, Marie DelPrete, Rory Gaudio, Alyssa Goldberg
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)Eryn Krueger Mekash, Devin Morales, Mike Mekash, Jessica Gambardella, Benji Dove
Wednesday (Netflix)Lynn Johnston, Elaine Hopkins, Dorothy Campbell, Helen Bailey, Nirvana Jalalvand
Best Special Make-Up Prosthetics
The Last of Us – Season 2 (HBO Max)Barrie Gower, Mike Mekash, Duncan Jarman
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)Corey Castellano, Mark Nieman, David Leroy Anderson, David Snyder
Star Trek: Section 31 (Paramount +)Glenn Hetrick, Rocky Faulkner, Michele Hetrick, Nicola Bendrey
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)Barrie Gower, Mike Mekash, Duncan Jarman
Wednesday (Netflix)Tristan Versluis, Matthew Smith
Best Contemporary Hair Styling
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu)Moira Frazier, Dustin Osborne, Christina Joseph, Charlotte Noon
All's Fair (Hulu)Valerie Jackson, Marisa Pinuelas, Suzette Boozer, Linda Flowers, Sharif Poston
Emily in Paris (Netflix)Carole Nicolas, Mike Desir, Miharu Oshima, Jay Durimel, Julien Parizet
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)Lauren Poole, Patrick Lising, Stephanie Rives
The Studio (Apple TV+)Vanessa Price, Alexandra Ford, Lauren McKeever
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling
Chief of War (Apple TV+)Analyn Cruz, Ralph Malani, Raquel Bianchini, Vanya Pell, Kathrine Sanchez
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)Barry Lee Moe, Erica Adams, George Guzman, Michele Arvizo, Randy Wilder
Palm Royale (Apple TV+)Karen Bartek, Brittany Madrigal, Tiffany Bloom, Anna Quinn, Jill Crosby
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)Sarah Hindsgaul, Katrina Suhre, Brynn Berg, Dena Gibson, Lanzel Smith Jr.
Wednesday (Netflix)Francesco Pegoretti, Nirvana Jalalvand
TELEVISION SPECIAL, ONE HOUR OR MORE LIVE PROGRAM SERIES
Best Contemporary Make-Up
A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix, OBB Pictures, At Last Productions)Diana Oh, Vanessa Dionne, Alicia Carbajal, Carolina Gonzalez, Ashley Joy Beck
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Zena Green, Angela Moos, Alison Gladieux, Farah Bunch, Sarah Benjamin Hall
Saturday Night Live (NBC)Louie Zakarian, Amy Tagliamonti, Jason Milani, Young Bek, Madison Bermudez
The Voice- Season 28 (NBC)Darcy Gilmore, Marylin Lee Spiegel, Gina Ghiglieri, Kristene Bernard, Kristina Frisch
Wicked: One Wonderful Night (NBC)Bruce Grayson, Brielle McKenna, Levi Vieira, Sean Conklin
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up and/or Prosthetics
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Brian Sipe, Julie Socash, John Foster, Vance Hartwell, Donna Bard
Everybody's Live with John Mulaney (Netflix)Tonia Green, Tyson Fountaine, Jude Alcala, Gage Munster, Sean Conklin
Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)Stephanie A. Fowler, Cindy Miguens
The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl (Disney+)Bruce Grayson, Brielle McKenna, Jill Cady, Tyson Fountaine, Ashley Roller
Saturday Night Live (NBC)Louie Zakarian, Jason Milani, Amy Tagliamonti, Joanna Pisani, Kim Webe
Best Contemporary Hair Styling
American Idol (ABC)Dean Banowetz, Amber Nicholle Maher, Cory Rotenberg, Kathleen Leonard, Jerilynn Stephens
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Marion Rogers, Brittany Spaulding, Amber Nicholle Maher, Florence Witherspoon, Regina Rodriguez
The Jennifer Hudson Show (Warner Bros./ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, CW)Robear Landeros, Albert Morrison
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)Corey Morris, Kerry Joly, Brittany Hartman, Korynn Gonzales-Novotny
The Voice (NBC)Jerilynn Stephens, Darbie Wieczorek, Bia Iftikhar, Candi Russell, Kathleen Leonard
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Marion Rogers, Brittany Spaulding, Amber Nicholle Maher, Florence Witherspoon, Regina Rodriguez
Everybody's Live with John Mulany (Netflix)Dean Banowetz, LaLisa Turner, Cory Rotenberg, Cassie Russek, Amber Nicholle Maher
Saturday Night Live (NBC)Jodi Mancuso, Cara Hannah, Inga Thrasher, Chad Harlow, Katie Beatty
Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special (NBC)Jodi Mancuso, Cara Hannah, Amanda Duffy Evans, Gina Ferrucci, Brittany Hartman
Wicked: One Wonderful Night (NBC)Edward Morrison, Lillie Frierson-King, Tiffany Bloom, R'riyana Kline
CHILDREN AND TEEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING
Best Make-Up
Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney +)Tisa Howard, Emilio Ayinde Castro, Susan Reilly Lehane, Jeremy Selenfriend, Brian Spears
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)Naomi Bakstad, Krista Seller, Ashley Forshaw, Megan Harkness
Skeleton Crew (Disney +)Samantha Ward, Sonia Cabrera, Cristina Waltz, Alexei Dmitriew, Adina Sullivan
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel)Melissa Sandora, Sarah Benjamin-Hall, Koji Ohmura
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Disney Channel)Susie Glass, Cora Montalban, Claire Wollburg, Jessica Hunt
Best Hair Styling
Electric Broom (Disney Channel)Brenda Blatt, Melanie Verkins, Melanie Ervin
Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney +)Joshua First, Jenny Pendergraft, Lisa Thomas
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)Jeannie Chow, Jessica Glyn-Jones, Amanda Dawn Mitchell, Jindje Renz, Alysha McLoughlin
Skeleton Crew (Disney +)Lane Friedman, Nanxy Tong-Heater, Richard DeAlba, Roxane Griffin
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel)Dwayne Ross, Tamara Tripp
COMMERCIALS AND MUSIC VIDEOS
Best Make-Up
Ariana Grande – “Eternal Sunshine” (YouTube)Justin Raleigh, Ozzy Alvarez, Liz Mendoza Kellogg, Olga Tarnovetska, Michael Anthony
BUBBA Burger: “Unbelievable” (Hulu)Christopher Osorio, Rocco Gaglioti
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” (YouTube)Sarah Tanno, Phuong Tran
Six Flags 2025 Haunt: “Come Out and Play” (Internet)Hugo Villasenor, Roxanne Pike, Heather Galipo, John Wrightson
Walmart “WhoKnewVille” Top Brands (YouTube)Rachel Hoke, Jennifer Hanching, Erin Walters, Jessie Bishop
Best Hair Styling
Amazon Prime Day featuring LeBron James (multiple platforms)Dominie Till, Akiko Matsumoto, Tranell DaMarr Ward, Christien Tinsley
Chapter III: PVP Time (YouTube)Andrii Tkach, Tiphanie Baum, D'nelle Almanza
Discover x Stranger Things (S5) (Netflix/Fox Sports)Sarah Hindsgaul, Cassie Russek, Ashley Jensen, Lyndsey J. Scott
Tyson| Royal Jewels (multiple platforms)Kimberly Carlson, Isata Allen, Ian Joseph
Walmart “WhoKnewVille” Holiday Campaign (multiple platforms)Dean Banowetz, Amber Nicholle Maher, Johnny Lomeli, Maria Sandoval, Myo La
LIVE THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS
California Regional: Best Make-Up and Hair StylingAinadamar (LA Opera)Samantha Wiener, Maggie Jean Clark, Brandi Strona, Nathalie Eidt, Nicole Rodrigues
Jaja's African Hair Braiding (Mark Taper Forum)Therese LeVasseur, April Tillies, Latoya Patton
The Monkey King (San Francisco Opera)Jeanna Parham, Christina Martin, Erin Hennessy, Maur Sela
Rigoletto (LA Opera)Samantha Wiener, Maggie Jean Clark, Brandi Strona, Nathalie Eidt, Jaclyn Nocerino
West Side Story (LA Opera)Maggie Jean Clark, Kelso Millett, Brandi Strona, Delaney Doherty, Nicole Rodrigues
Broadway and International: Best Make-Up and Hair Styling
Bat Boy: The Musical (New York City Center)Madison McLain, Bri Trischitta
Beetlejuice (Palace Theatre, NYC)Ryan Jackson, Pat Marcus
Death Becomes Her (The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)Mark Bailey Capalbo, Kelli Lennox, Raphael A. Santos, Colleen Syiek, Jakob Robson
Frankenstein (Segerstrom Center for the Arts)Lisa Ruth Zomer, Thomas Richards-Keyes, Timothy Santry
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (International Tour)Dimonica Carter, Kellen Eason, Liz Printz, Danielle Singletary
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The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS) has announced the nominations for the 13th annual MUAHS Guild Awards. On the film side, nominees are led by the usual suspects of the 2025-2026 film awards season: “Frankenstein” and for its prosthetic work by Mike Hill and Megan Many, plus “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Wicked: For Good,” and “Weapons” — all in three categories.
Television series were also nominated for the awards, with a voting tie in the Best Contemporary Make-up in a limited series or made-for-TV movie, resulting in six nominees. See the full list below. Other films nominated throughout the categories included “Bugonia,” “Eddington,” “The Smashing Machine,” “Marty Supreme,” “Superman,” “The Naked Gun,” and more.
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Winners will be honored at the Valentine's Day awards gala on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. The announcement was made by Julie Socash, President of MUAHS, IATSE Local 706.
Popular on IndieWire
FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE:
Best Contemporary Make-Up
Bugonia (Focus Features)Torsten Witte
Eddington (A24) Colin Penman, Lisa Hansell
Jurassic World: Rebirth (Universal Pictures)Jana Carboni, Charlie Hounslow, Nik Buck, Aisling Nairn, Lauren Baldwin
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Heba Thorisdottir, Mandy Artusato
Superman (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Alexei Dmitriew, LuAndra Whitehurst, Nicole Sortillon Amos, Amanda Sprunger
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up
Frankenstein (Netflix)Jordan Samuel, Oriana Rossi, Kristin Wayne, Patricia Keighran, Lizzi Lawson Zeiss
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max) Ken Diaz, Siân Richards, Ned Neidhardt, Allison laCour, Lana Mora
The Smashing Machine (A24) Felix Fox, Darah Wyant, Amanda Imeson, Harlow MacFarlane, Maiko Gomyo
Weapons (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Leo Satkovich, Mark Ross, Jason Collins, Kaylee Kehne-Swisher, Brie Bastianson
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbomio, Sarah Nuth
Best Special Make-Up Prosthetics
Frankenstein (Netflix)Mike Hill, Megan Many
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Arjen Tuiten, Jessica Nelson
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Mike Fontaine, Bailey Domke, Kelsey Berk, Kevin Wasner, Cristina Patterson
Weapons (Warner Bros.Pictures/ HBO Max)Jason Collins, Leo Satkovich, Mike McCarty, Mark Ross, Kaylee Kehne-Swisher
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Stephen Murphy, Susie Redfern
Best Contemporary Hair Styling
Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix)Heike Merker, Alex Kwan
Bugonia (Focus Features)Torsten Witte
The Naked Gun (Paramount)Joyce M. Gilliard, Nadia Sobh, Tomica Sarver
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Ahou Mofid, Gina Maria DeAngelis, Sacha Quarles
Superman (Warner Bros. Pictures/ HBO Max)Peter Swords King, Lindsay McAllister, Magnolia Lowe
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling
Frankenstein (Netflix)Cliona Furey, Tim Nolan, Laura Solari, Tori Binns, Katarina Chovanec
Marty Supreme (A24) Kay Georgiou, Jimmy Goode, Michael Buonincontro, Mitchell Beck
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Shunika Terry-Jennings, Elizabeth Robinson, Tene Wilder, Jove Edmond, Sherri B. Hamilton
Weapons (Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max)Melizah Wheat, Monty Schuth, Nashi Tumlinson
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)Frances Hannon, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes, Laura Blount
TELEVISION SERIES – LIMITED OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION
*TIE – Best Contemporary Make-Up – TIE*
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu)Constance Foe, Jenn Bennett, Carla Rosso-Neal, Brandy Allen, Nick Fischer
All's Fair (Hulu)Tierra Richards, Victor Del Castillo, Chloe Sens, Naima Jamal, Diana Shin
Emily in Paris (Netflix)Aurélie Payen, Sarah Damen, Fred Marin, Fanny Maurer, Carole Nicolas
I Love LA (HBO Max)Michelle Chung, Erin Rosenmann, Afton Storton
The Studio (Apple TV+)Jorjee Douglass, Gillian Whitlock, Robin Glaser, Cassie Lyons, James Freitas
The White Lotus (HBO Max)Rebecca Hickey, Michelle Kearns, Vicky Nugent, Wattana Garum
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up
Chief of War (Apple TV+)Christien David Tinsley, Hugo Villasenor, Bianca Appice, Carlton Coleman
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)Corey Castellano, Heather Koontz
Palm Royale (Apple TV+)Tricia Sawyer, Marissa Lafayette, Marie DelPrete, Rory Gaudio, Alyssa Goldberg
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)Eryn Krueger Mekash, Devin Morales, Mike Mekash, Jessica Gambardella, Benji Dove
Wednesday (Netflix)Lynn Johnston, Elaine Hopkins, Dorothy Campbell, Helen Bailey, Nirvana Jalalvand
Best Special Make-Up Prosthetics
The Last of Us – Season 2 (HBO Max)Barrie Gower, Mike Mekash, Duncan Jarman
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)Corey Castellano, Mark Nieman, David Leroy Anderson, David Snyder
Star Trek: Section 31 (Paramount +)Glenn Hetrick, Rocky Faulkner, Michele Hetrick, Nicola Bendrey
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)Barrie Gower, Mike Mekash, Duncan Jarman
Wednesday (Netflix)Tristan Versluis, Matthew Smith
Best Contemporary Hair Styling
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu)Moira Frazier, Dustin Osborne, Christina Joseph, Charlotte Noon
All's Fair (Hulu)Valerie Jackson, Marisa Pinuelas, Suzette Boozer, Linda Flowers, Sharif Poston
Emily in Paris (Netflix)Carole Nicolas, Mike Desir, Miharu Oshima, Jay Durimel, Julien Parizet
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)Lauren Poole, Patrick Lising, Stephanie Rives
The Studio (Apple TV+)Vanessa Price, Alexandra Ford, Lauren McKeever
Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling
Chief of War (Apple TV+)Analyn Cruz, Ralph Malani, Raquel Bianchini, Vanya Pell, Kathrine Sanchez
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)Barry Lee Moe, Erica Adams, George Guzman, Michele Arvizo, Randy Wilder
Palm Royale (Apple TV+)Karen Bartek, Brittany Madrigal, Tiffany Bloom, Anna Quinn, Jill Crosby
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)Sarah Hindsgaul, Katrina Suhre, Brynn Berg, Dena Gibson, Lanzel Smith Jr.
Wednesday (Netflix)Francesco Pegoretti, Nirvana Jalalvand
TELEVISION SPECIAL, ONE HOUR OR MORE LIVE PROGRAM SERIES
Best Contemporary Make-Up
A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix, OBB Pictures, At Last Productions)Diana Oh, Vanessa Dionne, Alicia Carbajal, Carolina Gonzalez, Ashley Joy Beck
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Zena Green, Angela Moos, Alison Gladieux, Farah Bunch, Sarah Benjamin Hall
Saturday Night Live (NBC)Louie Zakarian, Amy Tagliamonti, Jason Milani, Young Bek, Madison Bermudez
The Voice- Season 28 (NBC)Darcy Gilmore, Marylin Lee Spiegel, Gina Ghiglieri, Kristene Bernard, Kristina Frisch
Wicked: One Wonderful Night (NBC) Bruce Grayson, Brielle McKenna, Levi Vieira, Sean Conklin
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up and/or Prosthetics
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Brian Sipe, Julie Socash, John Foster, Vance Hartwell, Donna Bard
Everybody's Live with John Mulaney (Netflix)Tonia Green, Tyson Fountaine, Jude Alcala, Gage Munster, Sean Conklin
Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)Stephanie A. Fowler, Cindy Miguens
The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl (Disney+)Bruce Grayson, Brielle McKenna, Jill Cady, Tyson Fountaine, Ashley Roller
Saturday Night Live (NBC)Louie Zakarian, Jason Milani, Amy Tagliamonti, Joanna Pisani, Kim Webe
Best Contemporary Hair Styling
American Idol (ABC)Dean Banowetz, Amber Nicholle Maher, Cory Rotenberg, Kathleen Leonard, Jerilynn Stephens
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Marion Rogers, Brittany Spaulding, Amber Nicholle Maher, Florence Witherspoon, Regina Rodriguez
The Jennifer Hudson Show (Warner Bros./ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, CW)Robear Landeros, Albert Morrison
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)Corey Morris, Kerry Joly, Brittany Hartman, Korynn Gonzales-Novotny
The Voice (NBC)Jerilynn Stephens, Darbie Wieczorek, Bia Iftikhar, Candi Russell, Kathleen Leonard
14. Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)Marion Rogers, Brittany Spaulding, Amber Nicholle Maher, Florence Witherspoon, Regina Rodriguez
Everybody's Live with John Mulaney (Netflix)Dean Banowetz, LaLisa Turner, Cory Rotenberg, Cassie Russek, Amber Nicholle Maher
Saturday Night Live (NBC)Jodi Mancuso, Cara Hannah, Inga Thrasher, Chad Harlow, Katie Beatty
Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special (NBC)Jodi Mancuso, Cara Hannah, Amanda Duffy Evans, Gina Ferrucci, Brittany Hartman
Wicked: One Wonderful Night (NBC)Edward Morrison, Lillie Frierson-King, Tiffany Bloom, R'riyana Kline
CHILDREN AND TEEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING
Best Make-Up
Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney +)Tisa Howard, Emilio Ayinde Castro, Susan Reilly Lehane, Jeremy Selenfriend, Brian Spears
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)Naomi Bakstad, Krista Seller, Ashley Forshaw, Megan Harkness
Skeleton Crew (Disney +)Samantha Ward, Sonia Cabrera, Cristina Waltz, Alexei Dmitriew, Adina Sullivan
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel)Melissa Sandora, Sarah Benjamin-Hall, Koji Ohmura
ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Disney Channel)Susie Glass, Cora Montalban, Claire Wollburg, Jessica Hunt
Best Hair Styling
Electric Broom (Disney Channel)Brenda Blatt, Melanie Verkins, Melanie Ervin
Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney+)Joshua First, Jenny Pendergraft, Lisa Thomas
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)Jeannie Chow, Jessica Glyn-Jones, Amanda Dawn Mitchell, Jindje Renz, Alysha McLoughlin
Skeleton Crew (Disney+)Lane Friedman, Nanxy Tong-Heater, Richard DeAlba, Roxane Griffin
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel)Dwayne Ross, Tamara Tripp
COMMERCIALS AND MUSIC VIDEOS
Best Make-Up
Ariana Grande – “Eternal Sunshine” (YouTube)Justin Raleigh, Ozzy Alvarez, Liz Mendoza Kellogg, Olga Tarnovetska, Michael Anthony
BUBBA Burger: “Unbelievable” (Hulu)Christopher Osorio, Rocco Gaglioti
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” (YouTube)Sarah Tanno, Phuong Tran
Six Flags 2025 Haunt: “Come Out and Play” (Internet)Hugo Villasenor, Roxanne Pike, Heather Galipo, John Wrightson
Walmart “WhoKnewVille” Top Brands (YouTube)Rachel Hoke, Jennifer Hanching, Erin Walters, Jessie Bishop
Best Hair Styling
Amazon Prime Day featuring LeBron James (multiple platforms)Dominie Till, Akiko Matsumoto, Tranell DaMarr Ward, Christien Tinsley
Chapter III: PVP Time (YouTube)Andrii Tkach, Tiphanie Baum, D'nelle Almanza
Discover x Stranger Things (S5) (Netflix/Fox Sports)Sarah Hindsgaul, Cassie Russek, Ashley Jensen, Lyndsey J. Scott
Tyson™| Royal Jewels (multiple platforms)Kimberly Carlson, Isata Allen, Ian Joseph
Walmart “WhoKnewVille” Holiday Campaign (multiple platforms)Dean Banowetz, Amber Nicholle Maher, Johnny Lomeli, Maria Sandoval, Myo La
LIVE THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (Live Stage)
California Regional: Best Make-Up and Hair Styling
Ainadamar (LA Opera)Samantha Wiener, Maggie Jean Clark, Brandi Strona, Nathalie Eidt, Nicole Rodrigues
Jaja's African Hair Braiding (Mark Taper Forum)Therese LeVasseur, April Tillies, Latoya Patton
The Monkey King (San Francisco Opera)Jeanna Parham, Christina Martin, Erin Hennessy, Maur Sela
Rigoletto (LA Opera)Samantha Wiener, Maggie Jean Clark, Brandi Strona, Nathalie Eidt, Jaclyn Nocerino
West Side Story (LA Opera)Maggie Jean Clark, Kelso Millett, Brandi Strona, Delaney Doherty, Nicole Rodrigues
Broadway and International: Best Make-Up and Hair Styling
Bat Boy: The Musical (New York City Center)Madison McLain, Bri Trischitta
Beetlejuice (Palace Theatre, NYC) Ryan Jackson, Pat Marcus
Death Becomes Her (The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)Mark Bailey Capalbo, Kelli Lennox, Raphael A. Santos, Colleen Syiek, Jakob Robson
Frankenstein (Segerstrom Center for the Arts) Lisa Ruth Zomer, Thomas Richards-Keyes, Timothy Santry
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (International Tour)Dimonica Carter, Kellen Eason, Liz Printz, Danielle Singletary
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Kanye West had an “awkward” moment with “dear friend” Deon Cole onstage at his comedy show Friday night.
While the “Grown-ish” actor was wrapping his set at the Hollywood Improv, he asked the rapper — who attended the show with his wife, Bianca Censori, and music exec John Monopoly — to come onstage.
“Go on and give it up for a dear friend. Thank you for coming out, dog. You had a good time tonight?” Cole asked West, who simply nodded.
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“Did you laugh? Like, not no fake laugh. … You wouldn't give me no sympathy laugh?” the comedian asked the dad of four, who only laughed and shook his head.
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“You was, like, busting the f–k up? Why your body language ain't showing bust the f–k up body language? You up there like, ‘Hmm. Yeah,'” Cole quipped.
The “Black-ish” alum, 53, then told West, 48, that he appreciated him coming out to the show.
When the Grammy winner continued to stand there silently, Cole joked they were having a “good, healthy conversation.”
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The “Average Joe” star then asked West if he had any forthcoming projects audience members should be “looking out for,” to which the Yeezy founder replied, “New album coming out.”
Cole then joked that he would like to be featured on an interlude on West's new album, also asking whether he could be sent a care package of clothing.
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Cole shared a video of the moment via Instagram, with fans labeling the back and forth “AWKWARD AF.”
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“lol man.. awkward meets awkward! It's sumn in the Chicago pop! Lol,” one social media user wrote,” with another quipping, “Kanye acting like the slow cousin.”
A third netizen commented, “You definitely put him on the spot. He probably has social anxiety or sumn.”
“That was awkward as hell,” wrote a fourth fan.
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Two days prior, West and Censori, 30, enjoyed a Christmas Eve date night to see a performance of “The Nutcracker” ballet in Los Angeles.
TMZ reported that the duo, who tied the knot in 2022, kept a low profile throughout the show.
On Sunday, the pair brought West's son Saint, 10, and daughter Chicago, 7, to Disneyland's California Adventure.
By Jesse Whittock
International TV Co-Editor
“From the beginning, there was something within us that wanted to prove something,” says Mark Owen in the first trailer for Netflix‘s doc series about British boy band Take That.
He and bandmate Gary Barlow are seen backstage at a 1990s gig as their voices from the present talk over the footage. Watch the 45-second trailer above.
Launching on January 27, 2026, Take That will document the band's long journey and personal relationships with each other over three episodes, using never-seen-before footage, interviews and rare archive captured over 35 years. “Nothing beats being in a band,” says Barlow as the trailer begins.
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Fellow bandmates Jason Orange and Howard Donald are also seen and heard from in voiceover, before a young Robbie Williams walks up to the camera and says with a cheeky glint in his eye, “We all kiss before the show… in a butch way.”
Watch on Deadline
Take That were at the forefront of the UK's boy band revolution in the 1990s, playing dozens of sold-out shows. In total, they have had 12 number one singles and sold over 45 million records worldwide, and remain active today, with Gary, Mark, Howard and Jason set to embark on a 17-date tour, Circus Live.
All five members of the band took part in the doc, which Fullwell Entertainment is producing Take That. David Soutar (Bros: After the Screaming Stops) is the director and Gabe Turner is the exec producer.
Per the synopsis: “From their early beginnings as five piece formed in Manchester to becoming pop superstars, relive the camaraderie, chaos, and resilience that fueled their meteoric rise, dramatic split, and one of the greatest comebacks in British music history. Told in their own words, this is the deeply personal and definitive story of Take That.”
Take That also inspired 2022 movie Greatest Days, even going to Cannes that year to promote the Coky Giedroyc film.
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The three-part limited series, arriving Jan. 27, will feature 35 years of rare archive and new interviews with members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen.
By
Lily Ford
“Nothing beats being in a band,” says Gary Barlow in a new clip from Netflix‘s Take That docuseries.
The streaming giant has released a first-look clip — showing the band backstage ahead of a gig in the '90s — and images from its three-part limited series, set to drop Jan. 27.
In Take That, viewers are taken behind the scenes with members Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange, and Robbie Williams as they reveal their personal experiences in a band that captivated millions of fans, playing sold-out shows, topping the charts with 12 huge U.K. No. 1 hit singles and selling over 45 million records worldwide.
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Featuring 35 years of rare archive, never-before-seen footage and personal material, as well as brand new interviews with Barlow, Donald and Owen, the series promises to offer an “intimate look at the highs, the heartbreaks, and the enduring legacy of one of the U.K.'s most successful bands of all time.”
“From their early beginnings as [a] five piece formed in Manchester to becoming pop superstars, relive the camaraderie, chaos, and resilience that fueled their meteoric rise, dramatic split, and one of the greatest comebacks in British music history,” says a plot synopsis. “Told in their own words, this is the deeply personal and definitive story of Take That.”
Produced by Fullwell Entertainment, Take That is directed by David Soutar (Bros: After the Screaming Stops, Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All) and is executive produced by Gabe Turner.
Watch the newly-released clip from Netflix's Take That below.
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The post appeared to be in response to a festive photo shared earlier in the week by her younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears.
By
Jessica Lynch
Britney Spears shared a pointed message on social media over the weekend, criticizing her family after they appeared to celebrate Christmas together without her.
On Sunday (Dec. 28), Spears posted a message to Instagram alongside a photo of a decorated Christmas tree, using sarcasm to address what she described as long-standing hurt tied to her family relationships.
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“Merry late Christmas to my beautiful family who have never disrespected me, harmed me, ever done anything completely unacceptable or caused unbelievable trauma, the kind you can't fix,” Spears wrote. “To my dear sweet innocent family… so so sorry I was busy this Christmas but I will definitely show up and surprise you soon.”
The post appeared to be in response to a festive photo shared earlier in the week by her younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, which showed Jamie Lynn celebrating the holiday with her husband Jamie Watson, daughters Maddie, 17, and Ivey, 7, as well as their mother Lynne Spears and Britney's son Sean Preston Federline.
In a separate line within the same post, Spears directly referenced her niece Ivey, writing, “Hello, beautiful Ivey… I just want to hold you, my love… Godspeed, friends.”
According to People, Spears spent Christmas Day with her younger son, Jayden James Federline, 19. “Britney had a fun time celebrating Christmas with Jayden,” a source told the outlet. “It's been such a special holiday.”
Spears shares Jayden and Sean with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
The singer has remained estranged from several members of her family since the end of her 13-year conservatorship in November 2021, a legal arrangement that governed both her personal and professional life.
Since its termination, Spears has repeatedly spoken — often through social media — about the emotional toll of that period and her fractured relationships with relatives involved in the arrangement.
While Spears' relationship with her family has remained strained, she has recently suggested that her bond with her sons is improving.
In recent months, she has posted more positively about her children, including acknowledging time spent together and expressing optimism about their connection moving forward.
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Legend's wife Chrissy Teigen shared moments from the visit on Instagram.
By
Jessica Lynch
John Legend marked his 47th birthday with a family outing in New York City, celebrating the occasion by getting slimed alongside wife Chrissy Teigen and their four children at the Sloomoo Institute on Sunday (Dec. 28).
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John Legend
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Teigen shared moments from the visit on Instagram, posting photos of the family immersed in the interactive slime attraction and writing, “One last thing before we leave NYC 🥹 we love you @sloomooinstitute!”
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In the photos, the EGOT-winning artist is seen smiling alongside his children as they explore the colorful installations and participate in hands-on activities.The birthday celebration capped a busy holiday stretch for the family.
Earlier this month, Legend, Teigen and their children attended Disney on Ice at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, where they posed with Mickey and Minnie Mouse ahead of the performance.
Legend and Teigen, who married in 2013, are parents to daughters Luna Simone, 9, and Esti Maxine, 2, and sons Miles Theodore, 7, and Wren Alexander, 2.
Legend's family celebration follows a notable recent chart milestone on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart, with “Church” — his collaboration with Tasha Cobbs Leonard — hitting No. 1, marking the first appearance and first leader for John Legend on the chart. The achievement extended Cobbs Leonard's dominance at the format's summit, earning her 10th No. 1 on the ranking.
“I grew up singing and playing in the church,” Legend said of the milestone.
“So, I have a profound respect for the tradition of gospel music and gospel radio. To have ‘Church' reach No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart and to get my first ever Grammy nomination in the Gospel category is a blessing.”
The song is also nominated for best gospel performance/song at the Grammy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 1.
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NewJeans' long-awaited full-group return has hit another obstacle after their agency, ADOR, terminated member Danielle Marsh's exclusive contract, complicating plans for the K-pop group's reunion.
ADOR confirmed the decision Monday in a public statement, reported by The Korea Times. The agency said it determined Danielle could no longer continue as both a NewJeans member and a company artist following recent legal rulings and internal discussions.
The announcement comes as ADOR works to stabilize the group after more than a year of legal disputes that stalled NewJeans' activities and placed their future in question. Once seen as one of K-pop's most promising global acts, the group now faces renewed uncertainty just as a comeback appeared possible.
A Seoul court ruled earlier this fall that NewJeans' exclusive contracts with ADOR remain legally binding, according to The Korea Herald. The ruling barred the members from pursuing independent entertainment activities outside the agency and prompted ADOR to reopen negotiations with each member individually.
Following the decision, ADOR said member Hanni agreed to return to the company after traveling to South Korea with her family for discussions. The agency also said Minji remains in talks and has not finalized her position.
Danielle's negotiations, however, ended differently. ADOR said it formally terminated her contract after concluding that continued collaboration was no longer possible. The company did not disclose the specific contractual provisions involved, but framed the move as a necessary step following the court ruling and failed discussions.
In its statement, ADOR also said it plans to pursue legal action against a member of Danielle's family and former ADOR chief executive Min Hee-jin, whom the agency accused of contributing to the prolonged conflict that delayed NewJeans' return.
The contract termination surprised many fans, particularly after earlier reports suggested all five members had expressed interest in returning to ADOR after the court decision. Danielle, along with Minji and Hanni, had previously been included in discussions about restoring full-group activities, according to Forbes.
NewJeans debuted as a five-member group and quickly rose to international prominence, earning major awards and global chart success. Industry observers say the loss of a founding member could complicate future releases, branding, and tour plans, especially given the group's strong identity as a five-member act.
ADOR has not announced a timeline for NewJeans' next release or performance. With negotiations ongoing and legal tensions unresolved, the group's path forward remains unclear.
What once seemed like a straightforward comeback now reflects the ongoing fallout of a dispute that continues to reshape NewJeans' career, one decision at a time.
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Beloved Hallmark Channel actress Autumn Reeser knew as soon as she read the script for her 2025 Christmas movie, “We Met in December,” that playing Annie Lane would stretch her in new ways.
“The very first thing that I saw when I read this script is the long nails on this character,” Reeser told EntertainmentNow, noting that Annie's well-manicured nails signaled to her that the Chicago professional she was playing was very in touch with her “femininity” — a trait Reeser was excited to explore.
Written by longtime Hallmark screenwriter Nina Weinman, “We Met in December” is about two Chicagoans — played by Reeser and Hallmark fan favorite Niall Matter — who happen to meet while snowbound at a beautiful hotel before the holidays. After a magical night getting to know each other, they wind up searching for each other back home, having failed to exchange their contact information or even their last names.
Reeser told EntertainmentNow that what she enjoyed most was “getting to play with my own sense of femininity,” starting with her character's well-manicured nails.
“I don't wear my nails long, but it was very clear that she does,” Reeser said. “So the character reallyblossomed from there — the way she moves, what she wears, what she doesn't wear. And I really had a pretty deep experience with reconnecting with that level of femininity within me.”
After the three-week shoot, Reeser admitted, “I took the nails off immediately! But there was a lot of fun that I found in that, and a lot of ways that people approached me differently simply because of how I was expressing myself.” “You know, I am wearing a hot pink sweater,” Reeser laughed, “so maybe a bit of Annie stuck with me!”
“I think what Niall and I bring to this story is a lot of truth and a lot of maturity,” Reeser told EntertainmentNow of diving into their “We Met in December” characters. “These are mature adults.”
“I think sometimes in these movies, like my last movie that I did, ‘Junebug,' the characters are stunted in their growth. That's fun in a lot of ways, too. But (for ‘We Met in December'), Nina really wrote full-grown adults and Niall and I got to play that. That was fun in its own way.”
It helped that she and Matter already had great chemistry. Shortly after meeting at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in 2024, the two wound up in deep conversation, she said.
Reeser, who's been open about her own spiritual journey over the last decade, explained, “I love Niall. He's really gone on a deep, transformational journey, as well. And those are the people I connect with very deeply.”
“We Met in December” is scheduled to re-air on Hallmark Channel several more times, including on December 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. It is also available to stream via Hallmark+.
I'm actually watching it now, for the 2nd time, as I read this. LOL. It's one of my favorites. They have great chemistry. Well written and well acted.
I love each of you and your movies, but I especially loved the two of you together in this great movie.
Even though both actors are 2 of my favorites, this was the best of the new Christmas movies of 2025.
Loved Autumn and Niall in this movie. Two of my favorites. I think it is one of the better movies of the season and very much enjoyed the more mature characters they portrayed.
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Blake Lively gave a glimpse into her festive holiday celebrations with her family,
The actress posted an Instagram Story on Sunday of “her heaven,” which included her husband, Ryan Reynolds, 49, and their four children: James, 11, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and Olin, 2.
The “Gossip Girl” alum, 38, shared a cozy and colorful pic of her continuing to savor the holidays.
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Lively's activities included enjoying ice cold milk and cookies, a game of Mahjong and watching Chip and Joanna Gaines' hit HGTV show “Fixer Upper.”
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“Nothing better…family, hot cookies, iced cold milk (yes, with ice, iykyk),” Lively wrote. “A fire, Mahjong, a sparkly Britney Spears inspired water bottle, snow outside and a new season of Fixer Upper.”
“My heaven,” she added.
Lively has been busy promoting her hair care line, Blake Brown Beauty, as she also continues to battle her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, in court.
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Earlier this month, her lawyers blasted Baldoni's attorneys over their “probative” questions regarding the actress' sex life and alleged “disruptive” behavior during her depositions.
“Ms. Lively's sexual and/or romantic history has no bearing on the matters at issue in this case and we will not tolerate such examination, which will be the subject of a protective order and sanctions motion if it happens again,” Lively's attorneys wrote in a letter included in a Dec. 19 filing obtained by Page Six.
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In addition, Lively's legal team also complained that Baldoni's lawyers showed a “lack of basic decorum” due to their “insulting comments, audible cross-talk and laughter during examination.”
On Dec. 9, Judge Lewis J. Liman postponed Lively and Baldoni's trial — which was initially scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026 — to May 18 because of his hectic schedule, People reported.
The two parties have a court-mandatory settlement conference scheduled for Feb. 11, per the outlet.
Lively filed a formal lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024 for alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages.
Baldoni, 41, denied the allegations and responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and Reynolds. However, that suit has since been tossed.
By Glenn Garner
Associate Editor
With Jay Kelly, George Clooney experienced a bit of art imitating life, thanks to the Netflix film's co-writer/director Noah Baumbach.
Discussing a scene in which his titular movie star receives a lifetime achievement award in a packed theater after watching a reel of his onscreen career, the 2x Oscar-winning actor said he “was surprised” by Baumbach using clips from Clooney's own filmography.
“Oh, it was a surprise all right. I was surprised,” said Clooney on Entertainment Weekly‘s Around the Table, as co-star Adam Sandler added, “We were both surprised. We felt things that we didn't expect to feel.”
Watch on Deadline
Clooney added, “We held hands. No, I didn't know he was going to use sort of clips from my own actual career, which was a surprise. And you get to look at a lot of bad haircuts over the… mullets.
“Don't you laugh,” he quipped to Sandler. “You had a mullet.”
Now available to stream on Netflix, the film follows famous actor Jay Kelly (Clooney) as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. He confronts both his past and present, accompanied by his loyal manager Ron (Sandler). The film blends poignant themes with humor, capturing the regrets amid the notable achievements of life.
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NASA Physicist Dr. Yu Explains Why UFOs Spin, and Why There Is Always Light..
Most of you were probably aware of this already, but I like the way Dr. Yu explains to Clayton why UFOs spin.
https://x.com/UAPWatchers/status/2005666985078583774
EVERYTHING We know about the Universe is Wrong, NASA physicist just exposed it all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_SHGYOJhGU
When it comes to the most convincing UFO sightings ever recorded, opinions on Reddit are diverse and passionate. Here are some of the most frequently cited and discussed cases, along with the perspectives of various Redditors:
Many Redditors find the statements from high-ranking officials and credible individuals particularly compelling:
Vice Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter (First CIA Director): "It is time for the truth to be brought out. Behind the scenes, high-ranking Air Force officers are soberly concerned about UFOs. But through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense."
President Jimmy Carter: "If I become president, I will make every piece of information this country has about UFO sightings available to the public and to scientists. I am convinced that UFOs exist because I have seen one."
Astronaut Gordon Cooper: "I believe these extraterrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this pla..."
President Barack Obama: "What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are."
Personal accounts, especially when detailed and potentially corroborated, are often considered convincing:
Rectangular Craft Sighting: A Redditor describes seeing a silent, rectangular craft with curved corners and three large, dim, almost organic lights. "Floating there silently about 300 feet away and about 30 feet off the ground, and slowly gliding across the street, is a rectangular craft, with curved corners, and with three large dim almost organic lights on the bottom."
Another Redditor shared a similar experience: "I might have seen this at the end of December. I saw a single bright light low to the ground. As I got closer it was 3 lights under a rectangle. I could see the silhouette of the craft."
When multiple sightings match in description, it can add credibility:
Portugal and San Diego Sightings: A Redditor highlights the striking similarity between a UFO sighting in Portugal from the 90s and a video from San Diego in 2015. "The ufo that the San Diego man recorded, matches exactly like the one reported in the Portugal sighting..."
Another Redditor notes: "There's definitely credibility with consistency in sightings, provided that these are two separate instances"
While rare, official reports can offer a more objective perspective:
Lakenheath 1956 Incident: The Condon Committee report suggested a mechanical device of unknown origin. "The apparently rational intelligent behaviour of the UFO suggests a mechanical device of unknown origin as the most probable explanation of the sighting."
It's important to consider skeptical explanations, which are also prevalent on Reddit:
Factual Errors in Official Accounts: One Redditor points out factual inaccuracies in the list of credible people, which can undermine the overall credibility. ["
Love me a good philosophical conversation or debate and everyone is entitled to their world view. However, when one goes into it with the sole intention to dissuade curiosity I gotta draw a line lol
To me, a fundamental part of the human experience is asking questions and seeking answers. The only place where that's invariably a bad thing is at church 😬😬😬 and it ain't even Sunday lol
There are so many great mysteries still left in the world. What's wrong with trying to put the pieces together to have a few less blank spots in our understanding of it? 🤔🧐
When it comes to the most convincing UFO sightings ever recorded, opinions on Reddit are diverse and passionate. Here are some of the most frequently cited and discussed cases, along with the perspectives of various Redditors:
Many Redditors find the statements from high-ranking officials and credible individuals particularly compelling:
Vice Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter (First CIA Director): "It is time for the truth to be brought out. Behind the scenes, high-ranking Air Force officers are soberly concerned about UFOs. But through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense."
President Jimmy Carter: "If I become president, I will make every piece of information this country has about UFO sightings available to the public and to scientists. I am convinced that UFOs exist because I have seen one."
Astronaut Gordon Cooper: "I believe these extraterrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this pla..."
President Barack Obama: "What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are."
Personal accounts, especially when detailed and potentially corroborated, are often considered convincing:
Rectangular Craft Sighting: A Redditor describes seeing a silent, rectangular craft with curved corners and three large, dim, almost organic lights. "Floating there silently about 300 feet away and about 30 feet off the ground, and slowly gliding across the street, is a rectangular craft, with curved corners, and with three large dim almost organic lights on the bottom."
Another Redditor shared a similar experience: "I might have seen this at the end of December. I saw a single bright light low to the ground. As I got closer it was 3 lights under a rectangle. I could see the silhouette of the craft."
When multiple sightings match in description, it can add credibility:
Portugal and San Diego Sightings: A Redditor highlights the striking similarity between a UFO sighting in Portugal from the 90s and a video from San Diego in 2015. "The ufo that the San Diego man recorded, matches exactly like the one reported in the Portugal sighting..."
Another Redditor notes: "There's definitely credibility with consistency in sightings, provided that these are two separate instances"
While rare, official reports can offer a more objective perspective:
Lakenheath 1956 Incident: The Condon Committee report suggested a mechanical device of unknown origin. "The apparently rational intelligent behaviour of the UFO suggests a mechanical device of unknown origin as the most probable explanation of the sighting."
It's important to consider skeptical explanations, which are also prevalent on Reddit:
Factual Errors in Official Accounts: One Redditor points out factual inaccuracies in the list of credible people, which can undermine the overall credibility. ["
Australian actress Rose Byrne has opened up about her experience filming the genre-bending new movie “If I Had Legs I'd Kick You,” highlighting the “supernatural charm” of her co-star, A$AP Rocky, reports film-news.com.
In the film, Byrne plays Linda, a woman navigating the complexities of motherhood who forms an unlikely bond with a motel superintendent, played by the American rapper. While the pairing might suggest a typical Hollywood romance, Byrne insists the film avoids such tropes.
“Rocky has such a supernatural charm you immediately and understandably think, ‘Oh, this is going to happen,' but it never falls into that cliché,” Byrne told Marie Claire Australia.
Byrne was immediately drawn to the project after reading Mary Bronstein's script, describing the writing as “on fire” and packed with “gallows humour.” The actress was particularly struck by the film's unique sound design and its ability to blur the lines between reality and delusion.
“The audience is really only in her perspective and, like her, isn't sure what's real and what isn't,” Byrne explained. “It defies a lot of genres.”
Beyond the technical brilliance of the film, Byrne expressed pride in its raw depiction of motherhood. She noted that the role has resonated deeply with women who often feel “invisible” in their daily lives.
See alsoMovies·October 22, 2025·2 min readElizabeth Olsen says no studio movies without a guaranteed theatrical release
Byrne welcomed the recent wave of female-led projects, such as Nightbitch and All Fours that explore the maternal experience through a female lens.
“Until recently, there's not been much dialogue about motherhood from a female perspective,” she said. “I look at my mother's generation and think, ‘They didn't have this at all.' This is an extraordinary time.”
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It was one of the nation's most important mysteries for nearly five years. Hours before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, someone placed pipe bombs outside Republican and Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C., leading to a lengthy manhunt.
Earlier this month, there was a breakthrough. Federal agents arrested a suspect on Dec. 4, taking Brian Cole Jr. into custody. The Virginia man, who lives roughly 23 miles south of Capitol Hill, has been charged with transporting an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials, according to charging documents filed in court.
What was unclear at the time, however, was the suspect's possible motives. According to the latest court filing from federal prosecutors, an answer is coming into focus. The Associated Press reported:
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to ‘speak up' for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen and that he wanted to target the country's political parties because they were ‘in charge,' prosecutors said Sunday.
The same Justice Department memo said that Cole confessed to placing the pipe bombs during an interview with FBI officials.
The AP's report added that, according to prosecutors, Cole “acknowledged feeling disillusioned by the 2020 election, fed up with both political parties and sympathetic to claims by [Donald] Trump and some of his allies that the contest had been stolen.”
The same court filing quoted Cole telling agents who interviewed him that if people “feel that, you know, something as important as voting in the federal election is being tampered with, is being, you know, being — you know, relegated null and void, then, like, someone needs to speak up, right?”
In reality, of course, the election had not been tampered with, but the suspected pipe bomber apparently believed Trump's lies about his 2020 election defeat.
As a political matter, the apparent motivations are relevant. The New York Times reported that conspiracy theorists on the right spent years focused on the pipe bomb case, “alleging that shadowy government forces had planted the explosives as a distraction to make it easier for the Capitol to be stormed, in an effort to ultimately blame the breach on Mr. Trump and his supporters.”
Among those touting this apparent nonsense was FBI Deputy Director Don Bongino, a former conspiratorial podcast personality, who told listeners to his conservative podcast shortly before Election Day 2024 that there was “a massive cover-up” in the pipe-bombs case and that the bombs might've been placed as part of an “inside job” launched by the federal government.
Earlier this year, Bongino went further, telling his audience that the FBI knew the identity of the bomber and “just doesn't want to tell us because it was an inside job.”
If the Justice Department's legal memo is correct, we now know that the right's conspiracy theories were completely wrong, though it remains unclear whether Bongino and other conservatives who pushed these discredited ideas will now acknowledge their mistake. Watch this space.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.
The post In court filing, prosecutors point to pipe bomb suspect's motives, conspiracy theories appeared first on MS NOW.
This article was originally published on ms.now
Google's proposal to explore space-based AI infrastructure raises fundamental questions about energy, physics and feasibility – and whether Earth has really run out of options.
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As artificial intelligence (AI) models keep growing and getting more power-hungry, researchers are starting to ask not whether they can be trained — but where. That's the context behind Google Research's recent proposal to explore space-based AI infrastructure, an idea that sits somewhere between serious science and orbital overreach.
The idea, dubbed "Project Suncatcher" and outlined in a study uploaded Nov. 22 to the preprint arXiv database, explores whether future AI workloads could be run on constellations of satellites equipped with specialized accelerators and powered primarily by solar energy.
In certain low Earth or sun-synchronous orbits, the argument goes, solar panels can operate for much of the time, avoiding many of the night-day cycles, atmospheric losses and grid constraints that limit terrestrial data centers. Heat, meanwhile, would be rejected into space via radiative cooling rather than relying on water-intensive cooling systems on Earth.
The push to look beyond Earth for AI infrastructure isn't coming out of nowhere. Data centers already consume a non-trivial slice of the world's power supply: recent estimates put global data-center electricity use at roughly 415 terawatt-hours in 2024, or about 1.5% of total global electricity consumption, with projections suggesting this could more than double by 2030 as AI workloads surge.
Utilities in the U.S. are already planning for data centers, driven largely by AI workloads, to account for between 6.7-12% of total electricity demand in some regions by 2028, prompting some executives to warn that there simply “isn't enough energy on the grid” to support unchecked AI growth without significant new generation capacity.
In that context, proposals like space-based data centers start to read less like sci-fi indulgence and more like a symptom of an industry confronting the physical limits of Earth-bound energy and cooling. On paper, space-based data centers sound like an elegant solution. In practice, some experts are unconvinced.
Joe Morgan, COO of data center infrastructure firm Patmos, is blunt about the near-term prospects. "What won't happen in 2026 is the whole ‘data centers in space' thing," he told Live Science. "One of the tech billionaires might actually get close to doing it, but aside from bragging rights, why?"
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Morgan points out that the industry has repeatedly flirted with extreme cooling concepts, from mineral-oil immersion to subsea facilities, only to abandon them once operational realities bite. "There is still hype about building data centers under the ocean, but any thermal benefits are far outweighed by the problem of replacing components," he said, noting that hardware churn is fundamental to modern computing.
That churn is central to the skepticism around orbital AI. GPUs and specialized accelerators depreciate quickly as new architectures deliver step-change improvements every few years. On Earth, racks can be swapped, boards replaced and systems upgraded continuously. In orbit, every repair requires launches, docking or robotic servicing — none of which scale easily or cheaply.
"Who wants to take a spaceship to update the orbital infrastructure every year or two?" Morgan asks. "What if a vital component breaks? Actually, forget that, what about the latency?"
Latency is not a footnote. Most AI workloads depend on tightly coupled systems with extremely fast interconnects, both within data centers and between them. Google's proposal leans heavily on laser-based inter-satellite links to mimic those connections, but the physics remains unforgiving. Even at low Earth orbit, round-trip latency to ground stations is unavoidable.
"Putting the servers in orbit is a stupid idea, unless your customers are also in orbit," Morgan said. But not everyone agrees it should be dismissed so quickly. Paul Kostek, a senior member of IEEE and systems engineer at Air Direct Solutions, said the interest reflects genuine physical pressures on terrestrial infrastructure.
"The interest in placing data centers in space has grown as the cost of building centers on earth keeps increasing," Kostek said. "There are several advantages to space-based or Moon-based centers. First, access to 24 hours a day of solar power… and second, the ability to cool the centers by radiating excess heat into space versus using water."
From a purely thermodynamic standpoint, those arguments are sound. Heat rejection is one of the hardest limits on computation, and Earth-based data centers are increasingly constrained by water availability, grid capacity and local environmental opposition.
The backlash against terrestrial AI infrastructure isn't limited to energy and water issues; health fears are increasingly part of the narrative. In Memphis, residents near xAI's massive Colossus data center have voiced concern about air quality and long-term respiratory impacts, with community members reporting worsened symptoms and fear of pollution-linked illnesses since the facility began operating. In other states, opponents of proposed hyperscale data center projects have framed their resistance around potential health and environmental harms, arguing that large facilities could degrade local air and water quality and exacerbate existing public health burdens.
Putting data centers into orbit would remove some constraints, but replace them with others.
"The technology questions that need to be answered include: Can the current processors used in data centers on Earth survive in space?” Kostek said. "Will the processors be able to survive solar storms or exposure to higher radiation on the Moon?"
Google researchers have already begun probing some of those questions through early work on Project Suncatcher. The team describes radiation testing of its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and modeling of how tightly clustered satellite formations could support the high-bandwidth inter-satellite links needed for distributed computing. Even so, Kostek stresses that the work remains exploratory.
"Initial testing is being done to determine the viability of space-based data centers," he said. "While significant technical hurdles remain and implementation is still several years away, this approach could eventually offer an effective way to achieve expansion."
That word — expansion — may be the real clue. For some researchers, the most compelling rationale for off-world computing has little to do with serving Earth-based users at all. Christophe Bosquillon, co-chair of the Moon Village Association's working group for Disruptive Technology & Lunar Governance, argues that space-based data centers make more sense as infrastructure for space itself.
"With humanity on track to soon establish a permanent lunar presence, an infrastructure backbone for a future data-driven lunar industry and the cis-lunar economy is warranted," he told Live Science.
From this perspective, space-based data centers aren't substitutes for Earth's infrastructure so much as tools for enabling space activity, handling everything from lunar sensor data to autonomous systems and navigation.
"Affordable energy is a key issue for all activities and will include a nuclear component next to solar power and arrays of fuel cells and batteries," Bosquillon said, adding that the challenges extend well beyond engineering to governance, law and international coordination.
—Why do AI chatbots use so much energy?
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Crucially, space-based computing could offload non-latency-sensitive workloads from Earth altogether. "Solving the energy problem in space and taking that burden off the Earth to process Earth-related non-latency-sensitive data… has merit," Bosquillon said, even extending to the idea of space and the Moon as a secure vault for "civilisational" data.
Seen this way, Google's proposal looks less like a solution to today's data center shortages and more like a probe into the long-term physics of computation. As AI approaches planetary-scale energy consumption, the question may not be whether Earth has enough capacity, but whether researchers can afford to ignore environments where energy is abundant but everything else is hard.
For now, space-based AI remains strictly experimental. Whether it ever escapes Earth's gravity may depend less on solar panels and lasers than on how desperate the energy race becomes.
Carly Page is a technology journalist and copywriter with more than a decade of experience covering cybersecurity, emerging tech, and digital policy. She previously served as the senior cybersecurity reporter at TechCrunch.
Now a freelancer, she writes news, analysis, interviews, and long-form features for publications including Forbes, IT Pro, LeadDev, Resilience Media, The Register, TechCrunch, TechFinitive, TechRadar, TES, The Telegraph, TIME, Uswitch, WIRED, and others. Carly also produces copywriting and editorial work for technology companies and events.
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Scientists discover 26 new bacterial species in NASA cleanrooms, revealing surprisingly resilient microbes with potential uses in biotechnology and medicine.
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NASA's cleanrooms rank among the cleanest spaces on Earth, and for good reason — these sterile spaces are fortified to prevent even the hardiest Earth microbes from hitching a ride to other worlds aboard NASA spacecraft. Yet even in the most sterile places on Earth, life finds a way.
Now, experts plan to test these newfound bugs inside a "planetary simulation chamber" that could reveal whether these microbes, or ones with similar adaptations, could survive a trip through space to Mars, possibly contaminating the alien worlds on arrival.
Earlier this year, scientists identified more than two dozen previously unknown bacterial species lurking in the Kennedy Space Center cleanrooms in Florida, where NASA assembled its Phoenix Mars Lander in 2007. The discovery showed that despite constant scrubbing, harsh cleaning chemicals and extreme nutrient scarcity, some microbes evolved a suite of genetic tricks that allowed them to persist in these punishing environments.
"It was a genuine 'stop and re-check everything' moment," study co-author Alexandre Rosado, a professor of Bioscience at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, told Live Science about the findings, which were described in a paper published in May in the journal Microbiome. While there were relatively few of these microbes, they persisted for a long time and in multiple cleanroom environments, he added.
Identifying these unusually hardy organisms and studying their survival strategies matters, the researchers say, because any microbe capable of slipping through standard cleanroom controls could also evade the planetary-protection safeguards meant to prevent Earth life from contaminating other worlds.
When asked whether any of these microbes might, in theory, tolerate conditions during a journey to Mars' northern polar cap, where Phoenix landed in 2008, Rosado said several species do carry genes that may help them adapt to the stresses of spaceflight, such as DNA repair and dormancy-related resilience. But he cautioned that their survival would depend on how they handle harsh conditions a microbe would face both during space travel and on Mars — factors the team didn't test — including exposure to vacuum, intense radiation, deep cold and high levels of UV at the Martian surface.
To explore that question, the researchers are now building a planetary simulation chamber at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia to expose the bacteria to Mars-like and space-like conditions, Rosado said. The chamber, now in its final assembly phase, with pilot experiments expected to begin in early 2026, is engineered to mimic stresses such as the low, carbon-dioxide-rich air pressure of Mars, high radiation, and the extreme temperature swings the microbes would face during spaceflight. These controlled environments will allow scientists to investigate how hardy microbes adapt and survive under combinations of stresses comparable to those encountered during spaceflight or on the Martian surface, said Rosado.
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NASA's spacecraft-assembly cleanrooms are engineered to be hostile to microbes — a cornerstone of the agency's efforts to prevent Earth organisms from hitchhiking to worlds beyond Earth — through continuously filtered air, strict humidity control and repeated treatments using chemical detergents and UV light, among other measures.
Even so, "cleanrooms don't contain 'no life,'" said Rosado. "Our results show these new species are usually rare but can be found, which fits with long-term, low-level persistence in cleanrooms."
During the Phoenix lander's assembly at the Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, a team led by study co-author Kasthuri Venkateswaran, who is a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, collected and preserved 215 bacterial strains from the cleanroom floors. Some samples were gathered before the spacecraft arrived in April 2007, again during assembly and testing in June, and once more after the spacecraft moved to the launch pad in August, according to the study.
At the time, researchers lacked the technology to classify new species precisely or in large numbers. But DNA technology has advanced dramatically in the 17 years since that mission, and today scientists can sequence almost every gene these microbes carry and compare their DNA to broad genetic surveys of microbes collected from cleanrooms in later years. This allows scientists "to study how often and for how long these microbes appear in different places and times, which wasn't possible in 2007," said Rosado.
Further analysis revealed a suite of survival strategies. Many of the newly identified species carry genes that help them resist cleaning chemicals, form sticky biofilms that anchor them to surfaces, repair radiation-damaged DNA or produce tough, dormant spores — adaptations that help them survive in tucked-away corners or microscopic cracks, the study reports. This makes the microbes "excellent test organisms" for validating the decontamination protocols and detection systems that space agencies rely on to keep spacecraft sterile, Rosado said.
From a broader research standpoint, Rosado said the next step is coordinated, long-term sampling across multiple cleanrooms using standardized methods, paired with controlled experiments that measure microbes' survival limits and stress responses, said Rosado.
"This would give us a much clearer picture of which traits truly matter for planetary protection and which might have translational value in biotechnology or astrobiology," he said.
Sharmila Kuthunur is an independent space journalist based in Bengaluru, India. Her work has also appeared in Scientific American, Science, Astronomy and Space.com, among other publications. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston. Follow her on BlueSky @skuthunur.bsky.social
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The site was going to play a crucial role in defending Britain if nuclear war ever broke out
AN abandoned RAF site dubbed Britain's ‘Area 51' is a magnet for UFO hunters, urban explorers and conspiracy theorists who believe it was once home to government investigations into aliens.
From the outside, Rudloe Manor in Wiltshire looks like your typical 17th century Grade II listed house set in quiet rural surroundings.
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But in 1950 it was taken over and became home to the RAF's police and secret service personnel, covering espionage and counterintelligence.
And thanks to documents released in 2010 it emerged it also dealt with sightings of UFOs, leading to rumours it was hiding parts of flying saucers and even extra-terrestrial corpses recovered from crashes.
Urban explorer Gareth Smith told The Sun: “I've been to Rudloe a total of five times in the past 15 years. The last time I went was a year ago, and it's almost like nature is taking it back.
“I've been there in the daytime and at night, and it's pretty spooky. Inside the buildings there are brambles growing through the walls, upturned desks and chairs, and you definitely feel on edge, as well as the adrenalin pumping.
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“Seeing it over the years, every time I went there I went into a different building, and the change is kind of apocalyptic.”
The base was also featured on an episode of the American TV show Ancient Aliens that explores the theory that this was top-secret government research on aliens.
Top secret documents declassified in 2010 confirmed RAF Rudloe, between Corsham and Box in Wiltshire, WAS used as a UFO intelligence base.
It was home to the Flying Complaints Flight, a unit of the RAF Police which gathered reports of UFO sightings near RAF bases and passed them to the Ministry of Defence headquarters.
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Ministers heard weekly reports of UFO sightings and Churchill once even ordered one reported meeting between RAF planes and a UFO to be kept secret for at least five decades in order to prevent “mass panic”.
This is what led to it being dubbed the country's ‘Area 51', after the US Air Force's military base associated with extra-terrestrial activity including the infamous Roswell incident and government cover-ups.
Wiltshire has long been an epicentre of strange activity, including crop circles, UFOs, and mysterious ancient sites like Stonehenge.
And to add further intrigue, the base sits on top of a vast maze of underground tunnels and bunkers built in old Bath Stone quarries that was essentially a city able to house as many as 4,000 people.
Government ministers would also have been evacuated to here in case of a nuclear attack on Britain, and there was even a section dedicated to the Royal Family.
There was also a BBC TV studio that the government would have used to broadcast to the nation while war raged above ground.
Although Rudloe Manor is now a separate dwelling belonging to a local family, the RAF site and its 40 prefabricated buildings still lay abandoned, surrounded by security fences topped with razor wire.
Today, a metal gate covers the old entrance bearing the sign ‘private, keep out', windows of the huts are boarded up or smashed out, while several oil tanks capable of holding 6,000 gallons lie peeling, covered in graffiti and vandalised.
Dog walkers use the old access road for exercise, but locals remain tight-lipped for fear of inviting more conspiracy theorists or intruders.
Despite the efforts made to secure the compound, those determined enough to battle through the brambles and scale or slip through the fencing have been able to explore the eerily quiet site and its abandoned buildings.
Gareth added: “I've explored the camp but never got into the house itself, it would have been pointless. It was left for 20 years in a state of dilapidation. I know someone who's really into UFOs who got into Rudloe Manor, but it was just a shell, just rooms blocked off with breeze blocks and in a complete state of disrepair.
“I've only been in the old RAF buildings though. I just find the way somewhere can be left as it was with signs of what used to go on there just fascinating.
“It became known as the UK's Area 51 because of the rumours of UFO investigations and then some suggested there were old parts of the spacecraft or even aliens.
“It doesn't make sense there was anything like that, because it was a non-flying military base, it had no runways. They would have investigated reports of the unexplained in the air, and I'm sure that's still done somewhere else today.
We've always known about the UFO rumours, some people want it to be true because it's more interesting
“We've all seen videos of unexplained objects in the air, or UFOs, but personally I think most things can be explained, so I think it's a pretty bold claim there was ever anything like that at Rudloe, other than documents.
“Last year when I went, I didn't get past the boundary because there was security to stop the many people they had breaking in there.”
A source close to the new owners of Rudloe Manor claims the property, which lay empty for 20 years before it was renovated, is still regularly targeted for its historical link to the UFO reports.
They told The Sun: “People talk of Rudloe Manor like it's still connected to the RAF base, but it's just a family home now and has been since it was sold in 2021.
“That hasn't stopped people breaking in sadly. It's happened at least twice in the past few months, with people even trying to take pictures of the children.”
One woman who did not want to be identified said: “We've always known about the UFO rumours, some people want it to be true because it's more interesting.
“The tunnels have long been closed, some of them are believed to be demolished when some of the old Rudloe buildings were crushed into the ground.
“Some people believe parts of a spaceship housed there, but I don't think it is true.
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“I'd love for them to open it for tours, especially to see what the Queen's chambers would have looked like.”
Other locals suggest the land is ear-marked for development, but no planning applications have currently been submitted.
THE mystery surrounding Area 51 has always entertained the public eye, with many theorising what lies behind the top-secret government base.
Area 51 is located in the southern portion of Nevada, just 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, and is the common name of a highly classified at the United States Air Force facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range.
The airbase is commonly believed by many to be the home of the development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems.
The US Air Force acquired the site in 1955.
However, the CIA never acknowledged the existence of the facility until June 2013, following a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2005.
The intense secrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories, as some believe the facility is used to house alien technology or extraterrestrial life.
The base has never been declared a secret base, but all research and occurrences in Area 51 are Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information.
Conspiracy theorists believe the facility is used to store, examine and reverse engineer crashed alien spacecraft, including material supposedly recovered from the 1950s Roswell crash.
The so-called Roswell incident is one of the most discussed and controversial UFO theories in history.
History.com calls the Roswell incident the “mother of all UFO sightings.”
In July 1947, a rancher found “mysterious debris” and soldiers from a nearby base came to collect the materials.
Then came a giant leap as newspapers reported that a “flying saucer” went down in a New Mexico city.
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